Film Review: Never Let Me Go

Achingly romantic and utterly devastating, Never Let Me Go is this year's big dramatic tearjerker. Bolstered by three phenomenal performances at its center, director Mark Romanek and screenwriter Alex Garland have constructed a near-perfect adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro's novel. It's a strong piece of emotional filmmaking, raw and poignant, and yet never relying on cheap sentimentality to manipulate the audience.

Never Let Me Go is a romance-driven character drama inside a timely science-fiction frame. The concept sounds a little odd, but it worked in Ishiguro's incredible book, and succeeds with equal aplomb on screen. In an alternate reality, Kathy, Tommy, and Ruth attend a British boarding school; the three friends make up a complicated love triangle. However, there's a remarkable secret kept at bay, fleetingly explained and obscured. When released into the world as adults, they must deal with the repercussions of this secret, and the fate that awaits them. Ishiguro's novel waits long into the narrative before truly spelling out the central ambiguous mystery; in the film, the truth is revealed in the first half hour. It's a smart move on Garland's part - he makes the science-fiction edge less overt, allowing the characters to propel the narrative forward.

The film is ultimately so strong because of the three exceptional performances of its main players - Carey Mulligan, Andrew Garfield, and Keira Knightley. First, Isobel Meikle-Small is a wonderful find as the young Kathy, a truly emotive and interesting child actress; here's hoping we see more from her. As an adult, Mulligan is an absolute vision as Kathy. Carey Mulligan is the future of Hollywood; she proved herself in last year's An Education, and she shows her remarkable, breathtaking talents again here. Mulligan's performance is all in her subtleties, the little things she does with her face and eyes, and the dejected sense brought to her brief, well-done voiceovers. You won't be able to tear your eyes off of her searing presence; she'll make your heart ache in every way possible.

Mulligan and Andrew Garfield are an acting match made in heaven. Garfield is extraordinary as Andrew, capturing a boyish sense of wonder mixed with a mature gravitas; his face is also loaded with emotion. There's a moment when Tommy is waiting outside alone, and every inch of Garfield's body is expressing something. It's just one beautifully depressing moment that shows how remarkably talented Garfield is. Keira Knightley also shows her incredible skill as Ruth, taking a role that could have been a one-note vamp, and instead making Ruth charming, volatile, and complex. All three of these actors should be on the Oscar short-list come nomination season.

The production values of Never Let Me Go are perfect, dripping with bleak British romanticism. Romanek's director is nonintrusive while affecting, giving Ishiguro's story his own personal touch. Garland's adaptation is unbelievable strong, retaining the difficult tone of the novel. Andrew Kimmel's cinematography is jaw-droppingly gorgeous, especially in a stunning sequence on the beach. Rachel Portman's score is haunting, repeating piano and string motifs that imbue a sense of restrained melancholy to accompany the flow of tears.

Many seem to have a problem with the film because these characters never rebel against the society that has them trapped. This sentiment misses a theme of the film - we're all stuck in society, knowing rebellion is futile, and simply resigning to our given fate. Others knock the film's austere and morose mood, but I find the film's seemingly cold approach to elevate the emotional core. Garland's screenplay does give Garfield one brief moment where every emotion comes flying out of the cracks, and the scene in its singularity works wonders. Never Let Me Go is sweepingly romantic and horrifying. It's a stunning juxtaposition, and a remarkable allegory for how we live our lives. It's bound to take your breath away, and hit you hard. A