A Quick Tip by Count_Orlok_22

Not sure where to begin with Never Let Me Go. I liked certain aspects of it and yet also was frustrated with its slightly pretentious nature. The main issue I had was that the film tries to achieve some level of sophistication and artistry that it never really managaes to grasp and this is due to the fact that the filmmakers treat the material as if it were really original which it isn't. Right off the bat, we've all seen the youthful love triangle film, the British boarding school film, and the cloning for organ harvesting film. The combination of these formulas adds a certain original quality to the film as a whole, but it never becomes more than the sum of its parts.
I will say that I was very impressed by all the actors, especially the children actors who are superb, and with Carey Mulligan in particular, who delivers an astonishingly subtle, nuanced, and sympathetic performance.
With a title like Never Let Me Go, you'd hope that the film would hold on to the viewers' attentions and really stir their emotions, but for me, I never felt that it took hold on a deeper level. Ultimately I have mixed feelings about this film, but I would recommend to people, though I'd suggest reading the book first (I didn't and wish I had).