Never Let Me Go

[wsc]

At Greenwich - it was pretty packed! I'm not a fan of leaving two seat gaps - annoying!

Started getting bored near the end - but on reflection the storyline was very good, will pick the book up. School acting was top notch.

[ejwrank]

Husband and I saw this at Covent Garden and we both thought it was very good. Yes it was a incredibly sad and grim but really well done. I haven't read the book so felt very shocked and raw by the end. And after having seen Oranges and Sunshine in the afternoon I felt pretty drained by end of the day.

[harv]

Saw this at Whiteleys and luckily had an empty seat in front of me which is always a bonus as the Whiteleys seat incline is almost non-existent in that screen and I've often had blocked views.

As for the film I can't say it was pleasant viewing as it was incredibly bleak and quite depressing. It all felt too ponderous, scenes taking too long and too many held shots. It felt like the film didn't really go anywhere or say anything of any real interest. It's probably one of those films that will improve if I watch it in the right mood.

[butterfly]

The opening screen reminded me so much of the trailer for Island. It kind of distracted me for a while. I liked the film but not enjoyed it, possibly due to the topic. It did leave a lot of questions along with the why didn't they just... but as others said it wasn't the story they wanted to tell. Keira Knightley has said part of her reason to work on the movie was because she wanted to play alongside her mate Carey Mulligan.

hehe sounds like it was a night of annoying people around you. the guy next to me arrrggg! if he wasn't moving he was eating loudly/ talking or playing with an empty bottle. Then as it finished stood up and said that was a load of bull. It doesn't normally bother me, going with children you kind of get used to it but, tonight he just irritated me.
6/10

[hdaniel82]

A really good review of the book here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2005/fe ... ookerprize

[jordsmum]

Saw this at a fairly packed L'pool 1 odeon last night. Loved it from the start. I thought Carey Mulligan's acting was amazing. Her innocence and acceptance of their destiny just shone through her whole performance as Kathy H. I cried during the final scenes. One of the most touching films I've seen for a while.

9/10

[jem&theholograms]

I saw this at Swiss Cottage too. I had been looking forward to the film but it surpassed my expectations. It was quite a traumatic film and I left with a knot in my stomach - not always what I look for in a cinema experience, but I think the subtle and low key feel really worked. Carey Mulligan was wonderful - although how they managed to find a child with a face so like hers was a bit creepy and I thought Keira was actually good once she started donating and was quite ill.

I too wondered why they didn't just run away, but I think that made it all the more horrific and wouldn't have been so effective if they had lived happily ever after. It's scary how normal a film it felt for the subject and not too far fetched, especially when they pointed out that people may think it was wrong but if you asked them if they wanted to go back to lung cancer, heart disease etc the answer would be no.

I usually don't read a book if I've seen the film (as I prefer to do it the other way around) but think will check this one out as am quite curious. Thanks for the audio book link!

8.5 from me (thankfully not ruined by the very noisy eaters and talkers next to me!)

[tomorrow72]

Well another movie about death and the relationships we have surrounding it. After watching Buitiful, Black Death and Rabbit Hole recently I am emotionally exhausted.

I left the cinema wondering what if this story had an element of truth, suppose there is or has been a children's home grooming this, how would we know? - scary.

Slow but watchable, more questions than answers 8.5/10.

Anyone want to "complete" a Organ Donation card?????!!!!!

[superhero]

I do wonder why they don't spread out films like this abit more, there's only so much boost you can get from the awards ceremonies

Well another movie about death and the relationships we have surrounding it. After watching
Buitiful, Black Death and Rabbit Hole recently I am emotionally exhausted.

I left the cinema wondering what if this story had an element of truth, suppose there is or has been a children's home grooming this, how would we know? - scary.

Slow but watchable, more questions than answers 8.5/10.

Anyone want to "complete" a Organ Donation card?????!!!!!

[Preston1990]

I've just finished listening to the Never Let Me Go audiobook over the course of a few days. Many thanks to Andrews for kindly posting the free download link towards the start of this thread. edit - only available until 13th Feb so be quick if you want it!

Profoundly touching and thought provoking, it's a beautifully written story about love, friendship, jealousy, treachery and atonement. It is also a veritable metaphor about the shortness of life, and people's slavish acceptance of their perceived lot. I'd urge anyone who is seeking answers to questions raised by the film to listen to it.

10 out of 10 for the audiobook.

I'll definitely be going to see the film once it comes to a cinema screen near me. In fact, I've already mentally set aside one of my free Odeon Guest passes for that very purpose.