Never Let Me Go

(2011)

Dir: Mark Romanek

I remember studying Margaret Atwood’s classic dystopian novel The Handmaid’s Tale several years ago in a class full of the fairer sex. To both my classmates and my female teacher’s complete and utter amazement I didn’t enjoy the dark and thought-provoking story of enslaved concubines in a sinister religious future world because blokes ruled the world, but rather because it was just a very, very well written and well told story.

The same can be said for Never Let Me Go, Mark Romanek’s adaptation of the novel of the same name by Japanese-born British writer Kazuo Ishiguro. Looking at the adverts for this film, and indeed its title, it would be perfectly reasonable to believe it some kind of epic romance saga. And whilst there are romantic elements to the story, Never Let Me Go is far less Romeo and Juliet, and much more Hamlet. That is to say that the tragedy outweighs the romance.

The plot revolves around three central characters, Kathy, Ruth and Tommy, following them from an early age at Hailsham, a jolly old English boarding school right out of Mallory Towers. Unfortunately for our heroes, as time goes on, we learn that all of these children are nothing more that cattle, clones bread for the strict purpose of one day harvesting their organs.

Cue epic action and chase sequences involving trains and lots of motherfucking helicopters! Oh wait no, that’s the other film about cloning from that director who did Pearl Harbor. Right? Gotcha’. No, Never Let Me Go is definitely not The Island. It is a sad, melancholy, thought-provoking piece featuring very strong performances from both its child and adult leads.

As Kathy, Carey Mulligan and Isobel Meikle-Small are the obvious standouts, though Keira Knightley and Ella Purnell do a fine job as the conflicted Ruth. Andrew Garfield doesn’t really have much to do as the romantic object of these ladies’ desire, other than mope around and look bashful.

Never Let Me Go is a very British dystopian film. There are no redeeming qualities about this world. It shares its grey, earthy pallet with any piece of Social-Realism you can point your finger at. Sombre, sullen and heartbreaking, but that’s what us Brits love right?

*** ½ / *****

“Needs more explosions.”