Movie Review - 'Never Let Me Go'
Based on the 2005 novel of the same name by Kazuo Ishiguro, Never Let Me Go stars Carey Mulligan, Keira Knightley and Andrew Garfield, with a screenplay by Alex Garland (28 Days Later, Sunshine), and directed by Mark Romanek (One Hour Photo). The film chronicles the lives from young adulthood to burgeoning twenties of three childhood friends Kathy (Mulligan), Tommy (Garfield) and Ruth (Knightley).
Now I hadn't heard of the novel before I saw the film. At first glance, it seems very straightforward: three friends meet in boarding school Hailsham in England, where both girls take an interest in misfit Tommy, who has anger issues and is seen as the outcast in the strict school. Headmistress Miss Emily (Charlotte Rampling) is very guarded and mindful of the children’s exposure to the real world. At one point, several children are afraid to venture into a neighbouring field to retrieve a ball, almost in fear of their lives.
I must admit that while watching the film in these early scenes, I had no clue what was going on! It's apparent that the children are being prepped for some task in the outside world, with terms like ‘original’ being banded about. A young teacher, new at the school, feels pity for the children for the life ahead of them, yet the audience is left guessing as to what exactly it may be.
Keira Knightley, doing her usual pout with an accent routine here, phones her performance in, coming across as the spoilt brat of the piece, casually stealing Mulligan’s Tommy away from her. Mulligan, who audiences may recognise as Michael Douglas’ daughter in last year’s Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, is the heart of the film, with a quiet, restrained performance, yet the film belongs to Andrew Garfield. Hot off the success of The Social Network, he delivers a searing performance as Tommy, aching to escape the horrible fate that awaits all of them.
Subtle nuances seep into every mannerism on his face, with both girls fighting over him, one brash, the other quietly. He is the anchor that keeps the film together. His shaggy hair and youthful, sullen face fill the viewer with heartfelt sorrow and pity, until his final scene, where his rough hippie look is replaced with a shaved head, giving clues to his final destiny.
Mark Romanek’s direction is prying, but not in an overt way. Much of the film is from Kathy’s point of view, as she watches Tommy sleep with Ruth, with no emotion on his face. Knightley is just miscast in the film. She is capable of more, as seen in Joe Wright’s excellent Atonement, but here she is merely filler to come between Mulligan and Garfield.
You may have noticed I have not discussed what exactly the kids are being groomed for. Well, it is a conscious choice. Were I to reveal that, it would throw the review off, I think it is best for you to find that one out for yourself. Once revealed, it does change the story’s dynamic, and I imagine a lot of viewers will be scratching their heads, but this is a fresh story set in a dystopian England.
The same kind of future, or past in this case, has been done to similar effect in Alfonso Cuaron’s Children of Men (2006), but saying that, the film will divide audiences. I liked it, but I kept waiting for some kind of monumental event to occur. The film sinks deeper and deeper into gloom and despair. See what you think, and also, see if you can guess what the kids’ purpose is before it is revealed to you.
It's in cinema's nationwide on Friday, Here's the trailer:
Reviewed by Conor Brosnahan.
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