"Never Let Me Go" Poses More Questions Than it Answers

I have always been fascinated with the idea of cloning. That is not because I think it is a good idea, or because I believe it is a bad one. It is because of the moral connotations it takes on when man seeks to take over the role as the creator.

Part of me understands the medical implications for people suffering from life threatening or debilitating disease. Like everyone else, I want that kind of suffering to cease.

However, another part of me wrestles with the idea of creating part or all of a human being just to use them like a science project. It is a difficult subject that raises some very real ethical concerns.

"Never Let Me Go" is a film that attempts to deal with some of those issues. It does not; however, actually answer them. It doesn't delve very deeply into the feelings that one might have if he or she should discover the life they have doesn't belong to them. Because of this, I found it particularly unsettling. Maybe, though, that was the point.

"Never Let Me Go" follows the lives of three young students - - Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy. Kathy, played by Carey Mulligan, is a quiet, introspective girl who doesn't quite know how to connect with the boy she likes (Tommy). Because of that Tommy, played by Andrew Garfield, eventually switches his affections to her friend Ruth, played by Keira Knightley.

The children grow up happy and healthy in a boarding school called Hailsham, somewhere in England. Although they are never allowed to step outside school property, they question nothing. They simply do as they are told.

The one thing upon which most of the students agree is that they want their art accepted for "The Gallery." They have no idea what or where the place is, but they sense it is a prestigious honor. They also sense it will determine the course their lives may take.

Things go along well until one day, a new guardian (teacher) informs them that their lives are not their own. She tells them that they will never go to America, play sports or do any of the things that real people do because they aren't real. They are models of existing people, bred to be donors and absolutely nothing more.

One might think that such an announcement would stir feelings among some students. One would assume some kind of rebellion might ensue. It does not. Instead, the children seem to accept their fate and continue toward their inevitable completion (death).

Once they turn 18, the new adults are housed in other places until their organs are required. Kathy, Ruth and Tommy stay together until Kathy can no longer tolerate the couple's relationship. Then she volunteers to become a "carer" for others clones until her organs are needed. That takes her away to school for training and out of the sight of the two people who betrayed her.

On one of her many trips to the hospital, Kathy notices that Ruth is there to make her second donation. She decides to visit her. One thing leads to another and the two girls go off in search of Tommy for one final excursion before Ruth's final donation and ultimate death.

It is during this time that Ruth gives Kathy and Tommy information on how to apply for a deferral so that they can finally be together for awhile before they die. It is her way of making up for stealing Tommy away from Kathy in the first place.

The couple, who have always been in love, agree to try. What happens next is too important to spill the beans here.

"Never Let Me Go" is a strange movie that will test your thoughts about cloning. What it doesn't do; however, is really give you any answers that ring authentically. It simply raises even more questions and maybe that is all it was intended to do.

I found it unrealistic to think that out of hundreds of children, not one would stand up and say "no!" The odds were obviously against that. The human spirit, no matter how it is developed, wouldn't allow for everyone to go blindly to slaughter.

The movie made me angry. It made me cry. It made me scream. It made me think. In the end, that meant everything.

Alex Garland wrote the screenplay. It was adapted from the novel by Kazuo Ishiguro. It is thoughtful and moving, but shallow.

Mark Romanek directed the film. He helped maintain the integrity of the story while allowing his actors a little leeway for character development. Was the result perfection? Not really, but it was meaningful and hard-hitting in some spots.

I can't honestly say I liked this movie. It made me sad. It was, nonetheless, worth my time and effort. It forced me to give more thought to the whole cloning issue and that is something, after all.

I give "Never Let Me Go" two and one-half out of three stars. It could have been more realistic and it definitely could have had more punch. Still, it was worth the rental price.

RATING SCALE USED:

0 = A stinker. Don't waste the money!
1 = Bad. Rent it at your own risk.
2 = Below average. See only if you have time to kill.
2.5 = Average. A toss up.
3 = Good. Worth a looksee.
3.5 = Very Good. I recommend it.
4 = Excellent. Don't miss it!
4.5 = Outstanding. What are you waiting for?
5 = Destined to become a classic. You will be sorry if you don't see it.