Never Let Me Go to Hailsham

Never Let Me Go

There are times when we all question our purpose in life. Whether it is when we are swamped with work; having issues with a relationship; or merely feeling a case of the blues on a given day. Despite this, the fact that we have the option to change our path always offers up a glimmer of hope at our darkest points. Yet, what if our lives were already mapped out for us from birth? Instead of having dreams of being a doctor, lawyer, engineer, writer, etc; how would you feel if you found out that your sole purpose in life is to sacrifice yourself for the greater good of mankind?

This is the dilemma that the characters in director Mark Romanek’s film, Never Let Me Go, must face. Based on the novel by Kazuo Ishiguro, the film follows three childhood friends, Kathy (Carey Mulligan), Tommy (Andrew Garfield), and Ruth (Keira Knightly), from their days in an English boarding school, Hailsham. While at school they follow the strict set of rules that their headmistress, Miss Emily (Charlotte Rampling), has outlined for them. Their harmonious way of life starts to show cracks when a new teacher, Miss Lucy (Sally Hawkins), reveals a secret about the school that will greatly impact the students.

Never Let Me Go was a film that did not impress me at first but, ultimately, I am glad I stuck with it. The slow pacing and seemingly typical love triangle had me wondering about all the positive reviews I had read. Fortunately the intricate and subtle layers of the film started to reveal itself and I became completely enthralled. Part of the lure of the film is that Romanek never opts for the big flashy scenes. Instead he draws out the sorrow and allows his actors to really revel in their character’s situations. Never Let Me Go offers many deep questions such as what is the value of a life? Do we have souls? And how do we assess who deserves to live and who deserves to die?

The three leads do a great job of showing the complexities of having hope in a hopeless situation. Carey Mulligan is really developing into quite a wonderful actress. She is slowly living up to the hype that arose after the release of An Education. Mulligan not only sold the bittersweet love story with Tommy; but she also, in her role as caregiver, showed how easily one can be desensitized to death. She questions if there is any real difference between those who are dying and the people they are saving.

One of the reasons that Mulligan is so effective in her role is the natural chemistry she has with both Keira Knightly and Andrew Garfield. Knightly shines as the vindictive Ruth, who may not be as strong as she seems. Knightly could have made Ruth an unlikeable character, but opts to make her far more rounded than you initially expect. Garfield on the other hand does of good job of portraying the fragile nature of Tommy without making him annoying. Even when the adult version of Tommy finally realizes his fate, it is his restraint and a somber tone, after a brief outburst, that speak volumes.

Never Let Me Go is a film that is far deeper, and frankly far better, than I had initially anticipated. It is subtle and powerful without ever ignoring the greater questions. This is a film that deserves to be both seen and discussed, as it will provide interesting debate.

A Conventional Education Passable But Not Stellar

An Education

The Golden Globes were announced yesterday which means we now must endure weeks of the “who got snubbed” debates. Personally I do not really care for the Golden Globes. I find they often tend to nominate the films/television shows that will ensure the biggest celebrity turnout for their telecast. Still, I cannot bash the Golden Globes as there are times when they do get their nominations and winners right. One film in particular this year, An Education, has been appearing on many critics' “top ten" lists for Best Pictures of the Year. Surprisingly it did not make the cut for the Globes. The film only received one nomination, Best Actress, for Carey Mulligan’s phenomenal work in the film. Some may consider this a huge snub but I actually think they made the right choice.

Set in the early 1960's, sixteen year-old Jenny Mellor (Carey Mulligan)lives with her parents (Alfred Molina and Cara Seymour) in the London suburb of Twickenham. Her father, Jack (Molina), wants nothing more than to see his daughter attend Oxford. Though Jenny is a gifted student, her marks in Latin may hinder her chances of being accepted at the prestigious school. While heading home one day Jenny meets David (Peter Sarsgaard), a charming man more than twice her age. David exposes Jenny to an exciting world that she that she only dreamed about. As Jenny and David become closer, Jenny is forced to question what is the true value of an education?

As coming-of-age tales go, An Education is a rather enjoyable film but far from great. Sure it was nice to see a film like this from a young woman’s perspective that did not involve “magical fitting pants” or a big “prom” scene at the end. The reason this film works well at the level it does is partly because of the era it is set in. Since there were limited options for women at the time, it makes it a little easier to believe that Jenny’s parents would be charmed by this man who is more than twice her age. It also allows for many of the characters to observe what is happening without really speaking up against it.

While I did like the film it must be noted that An Education is rather light on substance. Which is rather odd, especially considering the subject matter that is in the film. The problem is An Education never bothers to give us any real insight into David at all. Sure we see how he gets his money, but you never really see what makes him truly tick. The final arc offers a little snippet but it only serves as a launch point for the all too sweet ending. As a result Sarsgaard is not given much to work with and provides the weakest performance in the whole picture. Peter Sarsgaard is a great actor who usually nails his roles. Yet he only seems to hit one-note, "creepy man-child", through this entire picture. After a while I found myself being more interested in the possible relationship between Jenny and David’s friend, Danny (Dominic Cooper). Come to think of it, I would have preferred if Sarsgaard and Cooper had actually switched roles. Cooper exuded far more charisma in his minor role than Sarsgaard did in the whole picture. Frankly the majority of the cast outshines Sarsgaard in the film.

Carey Mulligan and Alfred Molina are definitely the main reasons that the film kept me interested as long as it did. Mulligan carries the entire film on her back and is nearly flawless will doing so. She provides a refreshing and realistic portrayal of what it is like to be a teenage girl. Although the picture is set in the 1960’s she truly makes her character timeless. Molina is great as Jenny’s father as he hits all the right comedic and dramatic notes. The thing I like about Molina’s work here is that he truly understands his characters motives. Jack only wants the best for his daughter but his ambitions for her success blind him to the reality of the situation. Take away Mulligan and Molina and An Education is really much ado about nothing. While the film is not as deep as it appears to be, An Education is still worth seeing if nothing else for the performances.