Directed by Mark Romanek
Starring Andrew Garfield, Keira Knightley
Adapted from Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel, Never Let Me Go initially appears to be another stately piece of Brit heritage drama with its photogenic country house, Keira Knightley and a period setting.
But Never Let Me Go gradually reveals itself to be a more subversive undertaking.
This is set in an alternative ’70s where Andrew Garfield, Keira Knightley and Carey Mulligan are students at a public school.
There they learn the truth about who they are, and the fate the state has in store for them as adults.
This is sci-fi, then; but of very English sort.
The trio are resigned to what they consider their duty. Mark Romanek adopts a melancholic palette throughout; from the creepy, post-war vibe, to beige rooms and gloomy afternoons.
Knightley bothers to act and is great as Ruth, initially manipulative then driven by a need for atonement.
Garfield excels as the dim-witted Tommy, caught in a love triangle between Knightley and Mulligan.
Despite the grinding bleakness, it’s a tremendous film.
Michael Bonner