"Never Let Me Go" takes us into the world of Kathy (Carey Mulligan), Tommy (Andrew Garfield) and Ruth (Keira Knightley). Usually, I am not too big on science fiction. Star Wars for example has never been my cup of tea. But this is exactly the kind of sci-fi I love. It surely helped that I like the trio of actors and also Charlotte Rampling and Sally Hawkins who appear in smaller roles. Mulligan oozes talent, a definite contender for best actress from her generation for me and she shines from start to finish here. She is pretty amazing in everything she is in. The film's title is a good choice for many reasons, first of all obviously the song used in the film. It refers also to the way how Kathy and Tommy never let each other go despite the obstacles. And finally, you could see the title in a more tragic sense how their fate will never let them go till the day they die. Or I should probably say "complete" as it seems that these people are not really seen as humans and are only there to fulfill a certain purpose.
The last 20 minutes of the movie are among the saddest 20 minutes I have ever seen in the movies. I have seen this film a couple times already, but it never fails to make my eyes wet when Kathy tells Tommy in the house there are no deferrals or when Tommy leaves the car shortly after and screams like he did back when he was a boy and Kathy comes and holds him. Waterfalls coming. There are some genuinely sad moments earlier on as well, like Sally Hawkins' final speech to the children or Chrissie and Rodney asking the trio about referrals, but the end is just pure crying-your-eyes-out.
The most interesting character of the film is perhaps Ruth. It is interesting to see how she adapts other people's behaviors in order to fit in. She seems a ruthless schemer and thus the main antagonist here. However, it is all much more about fear of being alone (that's why also the attempt to find her "possible") than about really cruel intentions. And she tries to make up for her wrongdoings at the end. Nonetheless, it looks like Kathy and Tommy cannot forgive her finally with that scene where Kathy tells her that they are going to apply for a deferral and then leaves with no further comment. Ruth eventually dies alone during surgery, with all the doctors gone in the end even.
The film starts with a look at the trio's childhood for the first 30 minutes. Even with the three lead actors obviously still missing there, I enjoyed this part a lot. It is a great introduction and helps in understanding the characters and their actions. One scene that stayed in mind particularly was Kathy listening to the cassette Tommy gave her and Ruth stepping into the room and looking angrily at Kathy and Kathy looking back in disbelief. This was somehow the first time that Ruth got in the way of Kathy and Tommy (if you personify him through the cassette). Back to the grown-ups this movie is packed with scenes I could write novels about, so I will just stick to my favorites. At the restaurant, after they managed to order their food, they are asked what drinks they want and the way the trio looks at Chrissie and Rodney is just one of a kind. There aren't many funny moments in the film, but this one works oh so well. Then there are also more great scenes/quotes including the naked women newspaper and Kathy's true motivation for reading it, the quote about how it's best to wake up home, the introductory words right at the beginning which tell us about the world in which the film takes place and last but not least the scene in the forest where Tommy tells Kathy that deferrals with Ruth wouldn't work, but both are simply not ready yet to tell each other how they feel about the other and Kathy runs away screaming Tommy's name.
It is a wonderful film and I as somebody who is not into reading at all even bought Kazuo Ishiguro's novel that this film is based on and that says a lot. On a side note, he also wrote "The Remains of the Day". Ishiguro's novel was adapted by Alex Garland (28 Days Later...). The film's director is Mark Romanek. You may have seen some of his music video works for Madonna, Michael Jackson, David Bowie, R.E.M. or Red Hot Chili Peppers. In terms of film work, he is not that prolific, but I highly recommend "One Hour Photo", an edge-of-seat thriller with a masterclass performance by the late (really hate to say that) Robin Williams. I wish I could mention all the crew and aspects from this film here because I loved it so much, but there are just too many. One thing which definitely deserves a notion though is Rachel Portman's wonderful soundtrack. And finally, I would like to say that this work should not be seen as a statement against organ donations. This is not even remotely what the film is about. Looking at Kathy's final quote, it is much more about making the most of the time that we are given, no matter how much it is. Kathy and Tommy tried to, but in the end could not overcome the obstacles to extend their togetherness. Thankfully, we do not face the same obstacles as the characters in the film. Let's make the most of it and share it with our loved ones.
The 100-minute-long "Never Let Me Go" is the best, most creative, most overlooked and biggest tearjerker film of 2010. A true gem. Highly recommended.
The last 20 minutes of the movie are among the saddest 20 minutes I have ever seen in the movies. I have seen this film a couple times already, but it never fails to make my eyes wet when Kathy tells Tommy in the house there are no deferrals or when Tommy leaves the car shortly after and screams like he did back when he was a boy and Kathy comes and holds him. Waterfalls coming. There are some genuinely sad moments earlier on as well, like Sally Hawkins' final speech to the children or Chrissie and Rodney asking the trio about referrals, but the end is just pure crying-your-eyes-out.
The most interesting character of the film is perhaps Ruth. It is interesting to see how she adapts other people's behaviors in order to fit in. She seems a ruthless schemer and thus the main antagonist here. However, it is all much more about fear of being alone (that's why also the attempt to find her "possible") than about really cruel intentions. And she tries to make up for her wrongdoings at the end. Nonetheless, it looks like Kathy and Tommy cannot forgive her finally with that scene where Kathy tells her that they are going to apply for a deferral and then leaves with no further comment. Ruth eventually dies alone during surgery, with all the doctors gone in the end even.
The film starts with a look at the trio's childhood for the first 30 minutes. Even with the three lead actors obviously still missing there, I enjoyed this part a lot. It is a great introduction and helps in understanding the characters and their actions. One scene that stayed in mind particularly was Kathy listening to the cassette Tommy gave her and Ruth stepping into the room and looking angrily at Kathy and Kathy looking back in disbelief. This was somehow the first time that Ruth got in the way of Kathy and Tommy (if you personify him through the cassette). Back to the grown-ups this movie is packed with scenes I could write novels about, so I will just stick to my favorites. At the restaurant, after they managed to order their food, they are asked what drinks they want and the way the trio looks at Chrissie and Rodney is just one of a kind. There aren't many funny moments in the film, but this one works oh so well. Then there are also more great scenes/quotes including the naked women newspaper and Kathy's true motivation for reading it, the quote about how it's best to wake up home, the introductory words right at the beginning which tell us about the world in which the film takes place and last but not least the scene in the forest where Tommy tells Kathy that deferrals with Ruth wouldn't work, but both are simply not ready yet to tell each other how they feel about the other and Kathy runs away screaming Tommy's name.
It is a wonderful film and I as somebody who is not into reading at all even bought Kazuo Ishiguro's novel that this film is based on and that says a lot. On a side note, he also wrote "The Remains of the Day". Ishiguro's novel was adapted by Alex Garland (28 Days Later...). The film's director is Mark Romanek. You may have seen some of his music video works for Madonna, Michael Jackson, David Bowie, R.E.M. or Red Hot Chili Peppers. In terms of film work, he is not that prolific, but I highly recommend "One Hour Photo", an edge-of-seat thriller with a masterclass performance by the late (really hate to say that) Robin Williams. I wish I could mention all the crew and aspects from this film here because I loved it so much, but there are just too many. One thing which definitely deserves a notion though is Rachel Portman's wonderful soundtrack. And finally, I would like to say that this work should not be seen as a statement against organ donations. This is not even remotely what the film is about. Looking at Kathy's final quote, it is much more about making the most of the time that we are given, no matter how much it is. Kathy and Tommy tried to, but in the end could not overcome the obstacles to extend their togetherness. Thankfully, we do not face the same obstacles as the characters in the film. Let's make the most of it and share it with our loved ones.
The 100-minute-long "Never Let Me Go" is the best, most creative, most overlooked and biggest tearjerker film of 2010. A true gem. Highly recommended.