Culture

Directed by Mark Romanek. (5/5).

It may look like an ordinary British romance, but don't let this fool you; Never Let Me Go is a film about clones. Based on the novel by Kazuo Ishiguro, Never Let Me Go unfolds in a world that seems familiar but isn't quite our own. The human race is living through an alternative version of the twentieth century where cloning isn't just a possibility, it's the cold, hard reality. Clones, commonly known as “donors”, are stripped of vital organs before they're thirty, providing “original” humans with replacement parts. The average human lifespan is one hundred years but the donors have almost no rights and are electronically monitored. There is no escape. Enjoying a few short years before their organs mature, the clones are herded into boarding schools for their own protection.
 

Kathy (Carey Mulligan), Ruth (Keira Knightley) and Tommy (Andrew Garfield) all attend one such school. The three could hardly be called friends – Kathy's a bit of a loner, Tommy is ridiculed and Ruth is queen bee – but they find themselves drawn together in an awkward, tender triangle. There can be no happy ending for the companions. When thrown together in the outside world, the young adults are forced to deal with the very human problems of sex, jealousy and regret, all the while speeding closer to their fate.

 
Despite the bleak story, this is a visually stunning film. There has been serious attention given to lighting and the shots of architecture are in themselves almost worth the admission price. On top of this, the acting is beyond superb. Carey Mulligan is, as usual, Oscar-worthy, and Andrew Garfield will truly break your heart. Even Keira Knightley is surprisingly tolerable – she seems to have found a fitting role as the bitch-goddess Ruth. What impressed me most, however, was the sophistication of the actors who play child versions of Kathy, Ruth and Tommy. These kids are no cheese-ball Olsen Twins. They are the real deal.
 

Raising harrowing questions about humanity, art and love, Never Let Me Go is one of those films you really should see at the threatre. Not only is the visual beauty amplified by the big screen, but the cinema is dark enough to hide those tears I can guarantee you will shed.