"Never Let Me Go," based on the novel by Kazuo Ishiguro, follows Kathy, Ruth and Tommy, three schoolchildren, as they mature from their childhood years to early adulthood. The three of them attended the mysterious Hailsham, a secretive private academy for "special" children. As the children grow up, they eventually uncover the secrets of Hailsham, as well as their true identity. The film, directed by Mark Romanek ("One Hour Photo"), is hauntingly beautiful. From the elegant performances from the three young leads (Carey Mulligan, Keira Knightley, and Andrew Garfield) to the stunning cinematography, the film works on both a cerebral and emotional level. The score, by Rachel Portman, adds great poignancy to each scene. But what makes "Never Let Me Go" great is that it insists on asking the big questions. What makes for a memorable life? How does one accept death? Why does time slip away so quickly? While the film does not directly answer any of these questions, it at least makes the audience care for the characters who are struggling with them.
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1" continues the adventures of the boy wizard as he hunts down Lord Voldemort's Horcruxes (seven fragments of the Dark Lord's soul) in hopes that he can finally finish off the evil wizard for good. While "Hallows" does not rank as high as director David Yates's previous films in the series, "Order of the Phoenix" and "The Half-Blood Prince," it makes for an engaging enough first part to epic finale. Part of what prevents the film truly soaring is its constant reliance on exposition. While the novel by JK Rowling included much of this exposition, it unfortunately did not translate well from page to the screen. By this point, it's almost near impossible for a casual fan of the "Potter" films to comprehend the series's dense plot. Thankfully, the film's acting makes up for some of the script's weaker points. Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson give great performances as the now famous trio Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Watson, in particular, lends the film a certain emotional weightiness. But, in the end, this is only Part 1 of a greater film. Hopefully, when Part 2 is released this July, the combined film will make up for some of the flaws of its first part.
"127 Hours," the latest film from director Danny Boyle, stars James Franco as Aron Ralston, a mountain climber with an adventuring, if reckless, personality. While exploring the canyons of Moab, Utah, Ralston gets his hand stuck under a boulder, trapping him in a narrow canyon for - you guessed it - 127 hours. The film, based on a true story, manages to convey the reality of Ralston's situation through Boyle's unique style. Boyle heightens and exaggerates all of Ralston's emotions through several different visual and aural techniques. For example, when Ralston becomes disoriented, the film's visuals become less clear and the film's sound becomes less clear to match Ralston's state of mind. When he is in pain, Boyle uses sharp noises to convey Aron's agony. Boyle's energetic direction, paired with a solid performance from James Franco as Raslton, makes "127 Hours" an engaging, and emotionally uplifting, story. Although the film's ending teeters a bit too far into sentimentality for my liking, Boyle reigns in the emotion well enough to make "127 Hours" one of the best films of the year.