kev|ew of Never Let Me Go

never LeL Me Co ls dlrecLor Mark 8omanek's longawalLed haL Lrlck Seemlngly

sLagnanL on Lhe clnemaLlc scene slnce 2001 8omanek has waded Lhrough varlous dlfferenL
muslcal genres dlrecLlng muslc vldeos for such arLlsLs as !ayZ and !ohnny Cash Cash's
cover of Lhe nlne lnch nalls song 'PurL' won 8omanek crlLlcal acclalm ln 2002 and lL ls Lhls
broken dulled charm of a llfe spenL chaslng a halcyon youLh LhaL he brlngs Lo hls laLesL fllm
1he adapLaLlon of kazuo lshlguro's 8rookernomlnaLed novel ls lndulgenL ln lLs hazy
recollecLlons of Lhe ldylllc counLryslde where Pallsham boardlng school and lLs mysLerlous
paLrons are kepL 1he fllm cenLres on Lhree frlends who become embrolled ln a precarlous
love Lrlangle as Lhe reallsaLlon of Lhelr prearranged forLunes dawns 1hey are clones
deslgned as organ donors ulLlmaLely bound for an early deaLh as socleLy dlsregards Lhem
for Lhe greaLer good of a world wlLhouL paln wlLhouL sufferlng for all buL Lhe chlldren of
Pallsham 1hls ldea of forced desLlny has been expounded upon aL greaL lengLh ln sclence
flcLlon buL lL seems forebodlngly aL home ln Lhe quleL Lngllsh counLryslde 1here ls an alr of
LhaL much carlcaLured 8rlLlsh sLlff upper llp buL Lhls ls arguably an lmaglnary leap Loo far
1he chlldren's accepLance of Lhelr faLe ls aL besL unseLLllng and aL worsL unbellevable WhaL
ls holdlng Lhem back from escape? A sense of loyalLy Lo Lhe people who regard Lhem as
dlsposable? A fear of Lhe ouLslde world? sychologlcal proflllng aslde Lhls unexplalned
aspecL of Lhe fllm leaves a llngerlng doubL as Lo Lhe sLory's valldlLy
Carey Mulllgan ls excellenL as kaLhy P who narraLes Lhe denouemenL of her young
llfe consumed wlLh a quleL LorrenL of blLLerness aL Lhe loss of her chlldhood sweeLhearL
(Andrew Carfleld) Lo her besL frlend (kelra knlghLley) and aL Lhe package deal faLe whlch
awalLs Lhem all knlghLley ls well casL and dellvers quallLy performances as a hosplLalbound
young woman wracked wlLh gullL her unLlmely desLlny sealed Powever Lhe feellng
generally ls LhaL knlghLley's acLlng ls Loo reserved 1he fllm apologeLlcally sLraddles Lhe
boundary beLween numblngly regreLful and ab[ecLly mournful buL for a fllm Lo be LhaL
conslsLenLly depresslng demands someLhlng more a comlc release or a forced descenL lnLo
Lhe depLhs of sadness l am enLlrely Lhankful Lo Lhe man behlnd me for conLlnually shouLlng
aL Lhe chlldren ln Lhe second row for some llghL rellef Lo ensure l dldn'L fall lnLo a
depresslonlnduced coma
1he real Lrlumph of Lhe fllm ls lLs clnemaLography beauLlful shoLs of Lhe counLryslde
and ma[esLlc bulldlngs overlald wlLh a sepla sorL of eerlness 1he rlchness of Lhe shoLs
conLrasLs well wlLh Lhe bleak sLory llne Lhough some of Lhe foresL scenes are sllghLly
remlnlscenL of an auLumnal 8urberry ad rlsklng Lurnlng Lhe commerclallLy of Lhe fllm lnLo
more of an arL plece
1he fllm has already recelved Lhe crlLlcs' seal of approval wlLh slx nomlnaLlons and
one vlcLory ln Lhe 8rlLlsh lndependenL lllm Awards ulsquleLlng and movlng never LeL Me
Co ls an lllusLraLlon of why 8rlLlsh clnema reLalns lLs sLamp of subLle qulrk and resLralned
beauLy