Never Let Me Go (2010)
Chosen by me as I like to go to the cinema a lot.
There is a habit in science fiction films to over explain, to set out the rules of it's world unsubtly, reams of exposition (not always badly delivered) t explain something that doesn't really matter. Never Let Me Go certainly does not have that problem. Unfortunately, quite the opposite. It works in all the small details of the world (the casual way they scan their wristbands, the pills and milk) but fails to find a big picture, it's never clear why the world accept the way things are.
The reason this doesn't work is that the main characters are so passive, so passionless that the movies focus on the romance angle (and throws in a question about the nature of a soul to show it's a serious science fiction film not some nickel and dime B picture - except of course they often ask these questions too, so it's really nothing special) singularly fails to engage.
Andrew Garfield is good but the role so wet (he pretty much just does what ever anyone tells him) that it's hard to believe he is in love, or care whether he has a soul or not.
The moment that is meant to kick the tear ducts into gear never takes off (for one it's fairly obvious that he's not not going to get what he wants - the excellent Carey Mulligan plays it as though she probably knows) because even his anger is passive.
Why do the donors go along with everything? Why does the world go along with everything? Had we had a stronger love story these questions wouldn't have mattered but it is so austere and sterile, even one characters death barely registers. If the characters themselves don't seem to care much about their fate why should we?
The casting for the younger Carey Mulligan was uncanny, had her mannerisms down pat.
