Modern science fiction films tend to be big, brassy, noisy affairs, filled with bug-eyed aliens, intergalactic battle scenes, and sense-assaulting special effects. But "Never Let Me Go," based on a 2005 novel by Kazuo Ishiguro, is here to remind us of just how profound and thought-provoking the genre can be when played in a minor key.
Like "Brave New World," "1984," "Fahrenheit 451," and countless others before it, "Never Let Me Go" offers a dystopic vision of a "futuristic" world that has profound implications for our present day. However, Ishiguro, rather than setting his story in the future, chose to place it in an alternate-universe version of the late 20th Century, when the life expectancy is now over a hundred, thanks, in no small measure, to the fact that society has found the means to "cultivate" clones for the sole purpose of harvesting their organs once they hit their early 20s. That means that none of these folk will live to see their 30th birthday.
This haunting and heartbreaking tale centers on Kathy, Ruth and Tommy, three youngsters growing up in what first appears to be just another typical boarding school nestled in the British countryside. But soon sinister implications begin to emerge as we, along with the children, discover the truth about them and the purpose they will serve in life. The movie then jumps ahead to various points in the future as the three of them begin to fulfill their pre-ordained duty as "donors."
On the surface, the film is an obvious indictment of the evils of eugenics, portraying a society so in dread of its own mortality that it is willing to forsake any semblance of personal morality or ethics to ensure its own longevity and health. The aging headmistress (played by the always wonderful Charlotte Rampling) even makes the case that, no matter how sympathetic the general populace might be towards the plight of these "donors," people would never opt to return to a world filled with cancer and other deadly diseases. There's a wonderful scene in which guilt-ridden delivery men avert their eyes from the very children they know will one die day that they might live. But beyond the eugenics aspects, the film also functions as an allegorical illustration of the extent to which the privileged classes in general will go in exploiting the masses to get what they need in order to sustain their own extravagant lifestyles.
Yet, it is as a human drama that "Never Let Me Go' makes the deepest mark on our hearts. Through a trio of off-the-chart performances, Carey Mulligan, Andrew Garfield and Keira Knightley make us care deeply about these three people who seem strangely passive about their fates, yet who still strike out as best they can for a meaningful existence within the strict parameters assigned to them. Despite this dark cloud hanging over their heads, they still find time to fall in love, have sex, become jealous, enjoy their time together, and form lasting bonds of friendship. As Kathy notes near the end, everyone will eventually "complete" at some point or another (gotta' love those euphemisms we humans use to help salve our consciences when we know we're doing something wrong); these "donors" just happen to be doing so at an earlier stage than most.
Alex Garland's screenplay is thoughtful, lyrical and restrained, and Mark Romaneck follows suit in his direction. As to the performances, there is one particular scene – in which Kathy and Tommy slowly realize that the slim hope they had for a postponement of their fate has been a cruel delusion - that should be shown to every student of acting who is serious about the profession. The complexity of thought and depth of emotion that Mulligan and Garfield are able to convey through sheer facial expressions alone is truly a wonder to behold. But then again, all who were involved in the making of this film can be immensely proud of their work here.
I would also like to congratulate the original author for not doing what most writers of dystopic literature seemingly feel compelled to do, which is to turn it into another one of those damn chase stories where the characters spend most of their time trying to outrun the sinister forces out to get them (my biggest beef, in fact, with the good but overrated "Children of Men," for instance). For that alone, I am profoundly grateful.
Filled with unforgettable performances, "Never Let Me Go" is, without a doubt, one of the finest films of recent times.
Like "Brave New World," "1984," "Fahrenheit 451," and countless others before it, "Never Let Me Go" offers a dystopic vision of a "futuristic" world that has profound implications for our present day. However, Ishiguro, rather than setting his story in the future, chose to place it in an alternate-universe version of the late 20th Century, when the life expectancy is now over a hundred, thanks, in no small measure, to the fact that society has found the means to "cultivate" clones for the sole purpose of harvesting their organs once they hit their early 20s. That means that none of these folk will live to see their 30th birthday.
This haunting and heartbreaking tale centers on Kathy, Ruth and Tommy, three youngsters growing up in what first appears to be just another typical boarding school nestled in the British countryside. But soon sinister implications begin to emerge as we, along with the children, discover the truth about them and the purpose they will serve in life. The movie then jumps ahead to various points in the future as the three of them begin to fulfill their pre-ordained duty as "donors."
On the surface, the film is an obvious indictment of the evils of eugenics, portraying a society so in dread of its own mortality that it is willing to forsake any semblance of personal morality or ethics to ensure its own longevity and health. The aging headmistress (played by the always wonderful Charlotte Rampling) even makes the case that, no matter how sympathetic the general populace might be towards the plight of these "donors," people would never opt to return to a world filled with cancer and other deadly diseases. There's a wonderful scene in which guilt-ridden delivery men avert their eyes from the very children they know will one die day that they might live. But beyond the eugenics aspects, the film also functions as an allegorical illustration of the extent to which the privileged classes in general will go in exploiting the masses to get what they need in order to sustain their own extravagant lifestyles.
Yet, it is as a human drama that "Never Let Me Go' makes the deepest mark on our hearts. Through a trio of off-the-chart performances, Carey Mulligan, Andrew Garfield and Keira Knightley make us care deeply about these three people who seem strangely passive about their fates, yet who still strike out as best they can for a meaningful existence within the strict parameters assigned to them. Despite this dark cloud hanging over their heads, they still find time to fall in love, have sex, become jealous, enjoy their time together, and form lasting bonds of friendship. As Kathy notes near the end, everyone will eventually "complete" at some point or another (gotta' love those euphemisms we humans use to help salve our consciences when we know we're doing something wrong); these "donors" just happen to be doing so at an earlier stage than most.
Alex Garland's screenplay is thoughtful, lyrical and restrained, and Mark Romaneck follows suit in his direction. As to the performances, there is one particular scene – in which Kathy and Tommy slowly realize that the slim hope they had for a postponement of their fate has been a cruel delusion - that should be shown to every student of acting who is serious about the profession. The complexity of thought and depth of emotion that Mulligan and Garfield are able to convey through sheer facial expressions alone is truly a wonder to behold. But then again, all who were involved in the making of this film can be immensely proud of their work here.
I would also like to congratulate the original author for not doing what most writers of dystopic literature seemingly feel compelled to do, which is to turn it into another one of those damn chase stories where the characters spend most of their time trying to outrun the sinister forces out to get them (my biggest beef, in fact, with the good but overrated "Children of Men," for instance). For that alone, I am profoundly grateful.
Filled with unforgettable performances, "Never Let Me Go" is, without a doubt, one of the finest films of recent times.