Gail sees a movie: Never Let Me Go

Despite interesting characters and strong performances, Never Let Me Go is disappointing. Aside from the unoriginal and implausible plot points, this film fails to examine the issues it raises. Despite some early promise in the first half of the film, the characters (and the audience) never really take that emotional journey necessary for a satisfying film.

Hailsham seems like a typical English boarding school in the 1970’s. Young Kathy (Izzy Meikle-Small), Tommy (Charlie Rowe) and Ruth (Ella Purnell) seem happy enough as they live and learn under the watchful eye of the stern but compassionate Miss Emily (Charlotte Rampling). The real purpose of the school is revealed early in the film and in several of the trailers, so no spoilers here. The children are clones, created for the purpose of donating their organs. Apparently, this scientific “breakthrough” allows people to live long and healthy lives, free from cancer and other fatal diseases. It is not such a good deal for the clones, as they spend their childhoods sheltered from the outside world until they are 18, when they begin to make organ donations. They make as many as three or four donations  until they  “complete” (die), usually in their 20’s. The first part of the film takes place in the school, and the rest of the film shows the now adult (and played by adult actors) Kathy (Carey Mulligan), Tommy (Andrew Garfield) and Ruth (Keira Knightley). The three friends are involved in a bit of a love triangle, but does this really matter if their future is so bleak?

The trio of child actors does a lovely job in the first part of the film, and I immediately felt invested in the fate of their characters. Charlotte Rampling is imposing as Miss Emily, who is convinced that the school and donor plan improves lives. Is she a villain or just misguided? She tells the children that there will be a sale (they have been collecting tokens) as a “bumper crop” of items will be delivered. The children squeal with delight over old and broken toys that seem to have been taken from the trash.  I really enjoyed the scenes like this one at Hailsham, assuming they were setting the stage for the larger conflict.

The friendship between the three children is believable, as is the burgeoning romance between Ruth and Tommy and the obvious feeling between Tommy and Kathy, as Kathy pines on the sidelines. Carey Mulligan is vulnerable and compelling here, much as she was in An Education ^[1]. She narrates some of the film in voiceovers, and the story is told from her point of view. Mulligan imbues Kathy with innocence and compassion, and it is hard not to root for her. Garfield is appropriately sincere and optimistic as Tommy and Knightley shows her usual sexiness and sensitivity as Ruth. These characters are sheltered and innocent, and all three actors effectively convey this. I was interested in their relationships, enjoyed all of their scenes together and was eager to see how the plot twists would affect them. The problem is that there are no real plot twists. The air of melancholy that pervades the film sets the stage only for more melancholy.  Moreover, we do not see much of the rest of the population, so we never really see the benefits of the donor program. In a world where many groups protest cruelty and experimentation on animals, where are the advocates for the rights of these clones? Where are all the rebel clones? Where is a more complex examination of ethical considerations and the characters’ conflicting emotions?  And for the audience, where is the eventual payoff?

The screenplay by Alex Garland was based on the novel by Kazuo Ishiguro, and perhaps the novel further explored some of these issues. But I found the end of this film unsatisfying. The plot resolution was disappointing and I regretted my initial emotional investment.

Never Let Me Go. Directed by Mark Romanek.  Carey Mulligan (Kathy), Andrew Garfield (Tommy), Keira Knightley (Ruth), Izzy Meikle-Small (Young Kathy), Charlie Rowe (Young Tommy), Ella Purnell (Young Ruth), Charlotte Rampling (Miss Emily)and Sally Hawkins (Miss Lucy) Fox Searchlight Pictures, 2010.

Gail sees a movie appears every Wednesday.