Sin #87: Let Go

Remember Michael Bay’s “The Island”? In the movie we were introduced to an underground colony of clones that were told that the outside world had suddenly become inhabitable (don’t really remember the specific reasons). After one clone discovers the secret of their seclusion (basically that they were being harvested for their organs) he decides to escape with a fellow prisoner (the gorgeous Scarlett Johansson). “The Island” is not interested in the child-like personalities of the clones and their tragic fates; it starts with an intriguing dystopia that never becomes more than window dressing for the later action sequences. The special effects were really good but the movie had a strange and ambiguous marketing campaign that turned it into Bay’s only box-office flop. I didn’t hate the movie (it’s certainly much better than “Pearl Harbor”, “Transformers”, “Armageddon” or any one of Bay’s spectacles for audiences with short attention-spans) but there’s a wasted potential in this intriguing premise since there’s no attempt to delve into the clones’ plight. And don’t even get me started on “Episode II: The Attack of the Clones”.

Just when I think that I won’t find a provocative science fiction story about clones, here comes a beautiful existential drama that goes deep into the issue. That would be Mark Romanek’s haunting “Never Let Me Go”.

It all starts at one of those British boarding schools where the children are well-groomed and well-behaved. But there’s something not quite right since the children can’t even cross the fence to pick up a ball and there’s a sense of despair when they gather to listen to the daily announcements from their principal. One day, a teacher decides to tell her students the truth; they will never grow old and lead happy lives. Their destinies are to become organ donors.

Kathy, one of the girls, begins to develop a crush on Tommy. But he is shy and angry and becomes seduced by Ruth, envious of Kathy’s harboring love. As the years pass Kathy begins to drift away but is always in wait for Tommy to love her. In one of their trips together they hear about a rumor that if a couple truly proved they were in love they would be given some more years to spend together before their donation.

“Never Let Me Go” is a heartbreaking film that makes us wonder about what it really means to be human. I’ve read some fascinating inquiries about the nature of the story relating to why didn’t the clones escape if they had the possibility to roam free and if there were really any “real” versions of themselves out there. I don’t think they had anywhere to go and that there were any “real” versions, which makes the story even more tragic. The performances are amazing all around, from Carey Mulligan who was Oscar-nominated for her performance in “An Education” to Andrew Garfield who will be the new Spiderman in next year’s reboot and who showed great range in Fincher’s “The Social Network”.

“Never Let Me Go” is yet another literary adaptation whose book I haven’t read; all I know is that it’s considered a masterpiece and impossible to film. As a stand-alone piece, the movie is amazing since it evokes a mood that we rarely see in Hollywood productions (it also refuses to end with a tidy and happy conclusion that would betray its fragile nature). Here’s a movie whose images and characters are not easy to forget.