Review of Never Let Me Go (2010) by Darren%20 J — 10 Apr 2017

Dull and lifeless, this poor excuse of a cinematic interpretation of Never Let Me Go lacks details that are crucial to the main purpose of the novel. It is undeniable that the bare skeleton is present; the timeline of Hailsham, The Cottages, and finally the donations are certainly accurate.

To fully understand the intricate relationships between Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy, Hailsham needs to be more prevalent. The director-Mark Romanek-glosses over the genesis of the protagonists. At Hailsham, readers observe how Ruth goes out of her way to move into favor with The Guardians, which emphasizes her thirst for attention and social status (which was a differentiating factor in a place where individuality was sparse).

Interactions with the Guardians also shed light on Kathy, as well. Even though Ruth excludes Kathy from her secret protection group, Kathy still allows her to walk next to the guardians, which demonstrates her a priori carer instinct.

On that subject, the chess incident was omitted in its entirety. When Ruth is backed into a corner (by her own doing), she becomes rather defensive and goes out of her way to exclude Kathy. If these scenes were even slightly brushed over in the beginning of the movie, the true meaning of the interactions between Kathy and Ruth would be clear.

Rather than petty feelings over "the boy", the audience would be able to extrapolate that Ruth is an abrasive and manipulative person, and Kathy is more innocent and sentimental. If Hailsham was a more prevalent part of this film, Never Let Me Go would be portrayed as a more intellectual and riveting piece, rather than a childish chick-flick.