Directed by Mark Romanek
Screenplay by Alex Garland
Carey Mulligan as Kathy H
Andrew Garfield as Tommy
Keira Knightley as Ruth
out of 7I've been wanting to see this film for a while mainly because it looked quintessentially british and twee. I am terribly fond of Keira Knightley and after watching Andrew Garfield in The Social Network is was intrigued and wanted to see more. Carey Mulligan however, I will admit to not having seen her act. Snippets of trailers were all I had to go by. Now I know why subconsciously I had avoided the cheekboned stick of wood. She has the charisma of a really tired lamp post in this film. That being said it may be a personal thing, she is hot. Far hotter than me.
Onto to the film before I digress too much and start ranting about how she looks better in wellingtons than I ever will.
It is adapted from the book of the same title by Kazuo Ishiguro, the man who brought us The Remains of The Day. A VERY bleak story of a love triangle that has transcended years. Now that sounds fine, love blah blah yuck sex Knightley boob shot etc.
HOWEVER. They are clones.
Clones.
Yes clones.
The story is set in an alternate past in which disease is 80% eradicated thanks to the 'donations' from clones, vital organs etc. The clones themselves live to the ripe old age of 25 when they make their 'donations' until they 'complete' (dead. deaded). Thus solving the worlds battle against cancer and various other nasties.
I am not a simpleton, I can grasp the concept of alternative realities but it was just far too bizarre for me. The film itself was absolutely beautiful and shot magnificently using the backdrop of the british countryside. Soundtrack, what soundtrack? Unremarkable. The characters were completely unbelievable and vapid. I did not for one second believe any love was felt between them on any level. The storyline itself was frustrating to the point where I had to step away for 24 hours and come back to it else my laptop would have gone flying.
The main purpose I think of Never Let Me Go was to show that these clones and naturally born humans are the same, we grow, we love and we die. It is simply not true, faced with the fact that you are created for a single purpose of which there is no escape is plain stupid. If we were shown the basic science behind how these clones were created or even show the main characters battling for their lives then It may be worth more than 3 stars.
But it didn't and it was a huge disappointment.
Soz.
