Fantastic Fest 2010: NEVER LET ME GO Review
All too often, science fiction cinema transports us to worlds alien to our own, either far into the future or at the farthest corners of the galaxy. Civilization is littered with new technology and society has evolved under a new kind of authority, either to suppress its people or falsify a fragile utopia. In Mark Romanek's new film however, adapted from Katsuo Ishiguro's novel by Alex Garland, the world appears exactly as it has always been and for outsiders looking in, as well as young children growing up within it, there appears to be nothing to fear.
Kathy, Tommy and Ruth are three young friends growing up at an elite British boarding school in the late 1970s. Under the watchful eye of their headmistress (Charlotte Rampling) the children are raised in a delicately constructed environment that not only teaches them the more traditional reading, writing and arithmetic, but also breeds a competitive artistic streak within all of them. Most notably of all, the children are never permitted beyond the school grounds and their health and physical development is monitored obsessively by the school's medical staff.
It is only when a young, compassionate teacher (Sally Hawkins) feels compelled to forewarn her pupils that the children discover their futures have been predetermined, and once reaching adulthood, they will each be farmed for their internal organs until they "complete".
NEVER LET ME GO is first and foremost a devastatingly sad love triangle, and the obstacles and tragedies faced by the three protagonists (and the film barely features any other characters) are the same that we must all wrestle with. The science fiction aspect of the film comes a distant second to primary concerns of having too little time to accomplish what you want in life with the people you love. Because of this, the story may frustrate audiences looking for answers and insights about this alternate universe, as Romanek and Garland stick faithfully to their source material. As with the rest of his work, Kazuo Ishiguro explores people trapped within the confines of their own lives, never quite finding the courage to break out and change their fate, rather than explicitly detailing the world around them.
Although set in a fictitious reality, NEVER LET ME GO perfectly captures England's Home Counties in the 80s and 90s and presents the world exactly as it really was, quaint, dilapidated and free of any noticeable "sci-fi" additions, save for the sinister medical twist that looms forever behind the net curtains. Because of this, the film must sell its premise and dramatic predicament on its performances and the three leads are all fantastic, showcasing the very best of young British acting talent. Carey Mulligan is perfect as the unglamorous and tragically selfless Kathy, Andrew Garfield continues his evolution into a bona fide leading man with a convincing portrayal of awkward adolescence while Keira Knightley returns to our screens in fine style as the quietly domineering Ruth, who comes between Tommy and Kathy.
Playing at times like a Merchant Ivory reworking of Michael Crichton's COMA, Romanek's film rejects all the expected genre staples to tell a painfully human story that could easily have been about terminal illness, rather than government approved organ harvesting. It is a quietly beautiful film about the realization that our time is limited, our happiness is not guaranteed and love, in the end, conquers nothing at all.
Kathy, Tommy and Ruth are three young friends growing up at an elite British boarding school in the late 1970s. Under the watchful eye of their headmistress (Charlotte Rampling) the children are raised in a delicately constructed environment that not only teaches them the more traditional reading, writing and arithmetic, but also breeds a competitive artistic streak within all of them. Most notably of all, the children are never permitted beyond the school grounds and their health and physical development is monitored obsessively by the school's medical staff.
It is only when a young, compassionate teacher (Sally Hawkins) feels compelled to forewarn her pupils that the children discover their futures have been predetermined, and once reaching adulthood, they will each be farmed for their internal organs until they "complete".
NEVER LET ME GO is first and foremost a devastatingly sad love triangle, and the obstacles and tragedies faced by the three protagonists (and the film barely features any other characters) are the same that we must all wrestle with. The science fiction aspect of the film comes a distant second to primary concerns of having too little time to accomplish what you want in life with the people you love. Because of this, the story may frustrate audiences looking for answers and insights about this alternate universe, as Romanek and Garland stick faithfully to their source material. As with the rest of his work, Kazuo Ishiguro explores people trapped within the confines of their own lives, never quite finding the courage to break out and change their fate, rather than explicitly detailing the world around them.
Although set in a fictitious reality, NEVER LET ME GO perfectly captures England's Home Counties in the 80s and 90s and presents the world exactly as it really was, quaint, dilapidated and free of any noticeable "sci-fi" additions, save for the sinister medical twist that looms forever behind the net curtains. Because of this, the film must sell its premise and dramatic predicament on its performances and the three leads are all fantastic, showcasing the very best of young British acting talent. Carey Mulligan is perfect as the unglamorous and tragically selfless Kathy, Andrew Garfield continues his evolution into a bona fide leading man with a convincing portrayal of awkward adolescence while Keira Knightley returns to our screens in fine style as the quietly domineering Ruth, who comes between Tommy and Kathy.
Playing at times like a Merchant Ivory reworking of Michael Crichton's COMA, Romanek's film rejects all the expected genre staples to tell a painfully human story that could easily have been about terminal illness, rather than government approved organ harvesting. It is a quietly beautiful film about the realization that our time is limited, our happiness is not guaranteed and love, in the end, conquers nothing at all.
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