Never Let Me Go
Review
by Anthony Morris
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Never Let Me Go
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Metaphor and science fiction often go hand-in-hand. Never Let Me Go's
problem is that the science fiction only works as a metaphor - the
second you think "how would that work?" the whole thing completely
falls apart. Of course, you're not supposed to think that,
and how well this film works for you will depend to a very large extent
on how successfully the characters keep you too engaged to ask any
wider questions. Set in a world where in 1952 there was a
medical breakthrough (the timing works both for the rustic UK setting
of the story and for the suggestion of Nazi doctors) that meant by 1967
the average life expectancy was over 100, the story begins in 1978 at
Halisham boarding school. It's a slightly odd place - no
parents ever stop by and the children are told gruesome stories to
prevent them from wandering off. Student Tommy is picked on by the
other kids and often flies into wild rages, with only Kathy willing to
reach out to him. It's clear that Kathy's falling for him,
but her attention makes him seem more of a catch to her more forthright
friend Ruth. Then a teacher reveals the truth behind their school:
they'll never have proper lives, because they've been grown to "donate"
their organs. After a few donations - few survive past four
it seems - they'll have "completed". Shocking to us but blankly
accepted by the kids, we jump forward to 1985, where they've been
relocated at 18 to a farm called The Cottage. Ruth (Keria Knightly) and Tommy (Andrew Garfield) are still together, while Kathy (Carey Mulligan) pines for him in a quiet way.
Gradually more facets of their lives are revealed, including the hope
that if a couple are truly in love, they may be granted a "deferral"
from their donations. This is a gentle, low-key film that
gains most of its power from the strength of its central metaphor: a
harsh and brutal scheme that cuts short lives for a "greater good"
that's never fully explained or understood. In short, it's
a metaphor for life itself (and if you don't get it it's spelt out in a
somewhat blunt ending). People fall in love, it doesn't always work
out, we don't get enough time, we're not appreciated for who we are and
then it's all over. It's a sad story made more heartfelt by
wrenching performances from the three leads, but there's nothing more
to it than the broad metaphor. Well, there is one moment towards the
end where Kathy, who for most of the film is an archetypical "good
girl", kisses Tommy and then looks at him like he's the only thing
keeping her alive. It's over in a second but there's a
world in her glance - one far more interesting than the frozen place
this restrained film dares serve up. 3.5 out
of 5
Never Let Me Go
Australian release: 31st March,
2011
Official
Site: Never Let Me Go
Cast: Keira Knightley, Carey Mulligan, Andrew Garfield, Charlotte Rampling, Sally Hawkins, Nathalie Richard
Director: Mark Romanek
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