Never Let Me Go

In the first minutes of the film Never Let Me Go, the gentle voice of Carey Mulligan as the main character Kathy, describes her work and her past with measured and moving words. The beautiful prose of Kazuo Ishiguro's novel, adapted by screenwriter Alex Garland, sets a delicate tone to the story, as do the muted colors and restrained light seen throughout the film.

The young cast delivers astonishing performances and their painful exploration of love and loyalty is deeply emotional. But this is not a story of youthful romance or coming of age. Instead, Never Let Me Go meditates on the brevity of life and the weight of duty and resignation.