The screenplay was scribed by Alex Garland (previously known for novel/screenplay of The Beach (2000) and screenplay for 28 Days Later (2002), amongst other works), based on the novel of the same name by Kazuo Ishiguro, which was on the Times top 100 novels since 1923. Ishiguro is previously known for the novel Remains of the Day, which was also adapted for the screen. Director Mark Romonek makes his second major feature work after 2002's One Hour Photo, which was an interesting piece of cinema, overshadowed in the media by the odd, but quite brilliant performance by a subdued Robin Williams. Romonek's other work is mainly in the music video world, along with adverts (whore! - I retract that comment if we ever accept adverts on this blog! - well....).Let Me Go tells the story of three children who are raised in what first appears to be a very English boarding school, called Hailsham. As the story progresses we realise that these children are raised in strict restriction from the real world as they are later to be used for their vital organs for the purpose of medical progression, and to restrict the spreading of serious diseases. It's never elaborated on whether the children are born of cloning or as test-tube babies. because of the setting I assume they would be test-tube. But again, as I have stipulated before, we are in an unsure mix of genre and an ambiguous state of reality.
The film has three stages, first of which is the aforementioned childhood stage. This is where the characters Kathy (Carey Mulligan), Tommy (Andrew Garfield), and Ruth (Keira Knightly), cement their friendship. I'm not going to give too much away about the relationships, as I feel this is where the majority of the emotional and narrative drive comes from. As they grow and are dissipated from their every day, they move towards their twenties, and the last stages of existence; 'completion'. This is the stage in which they begin donating organs. Between these they each explore their sexuality and their place in the world, knowing all too well that they are only on the planet for a short period, not knowing where they came from. They always (particularly the girls), want to know who their 'originals' are. This, in me, triggers that concept that it is in fact a product of cloning. The performances by the three main characters are very noteworthy. They give realistic and emotional gravitas to the events and problems they all endure.
I really don't want to linger at all on details of the narrative, or to dwell on the complexities of the relationships, as I feel this is one of those films everyone should watch. It encompasses the issues of science and duplication of people, as it questions the nature of the human soul. What does make us human? If we are replicated in a science laboratory, does this make us less human genetically/biologically? Whilst this idea is not wholly new in any way, it is a fundamental question when faced with the realities that we live with. After all, cloning is absolutely possible.
The film is beautifully crafted; stunning, yet simple cinematography permeates the film, whilst also portraying the times they are set in perfectly. (We may well be in a different time altogether, but it 'feels' correct). A simple angle of the camera gives the nostalgia of time to the complete mise-en-scene. I rarely leave a film so touched, and so moved by questions of humanity and the importance of life.
Directed by: Mark Romanek
Starring: Carey Mulligan, Andrew Garfield, Keira Knightley, Sally Hawkins, Charlotte Rampling
Country: UK/USA
Rating: *****
Marc Ivamy
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