A devastatingly brilliant film about the uniqueness of life, and our desire for more.
Set in a parallel Britain, during the latter half of the twentieth century, the film follows a group of kids who will one day become “donors”. Medical advancement has meant that using organs from a donor will fight against deathly diseases and illnesses. The solution, therefore, was to cultivate organs from actual people, who were only born and raised to perform this function. Schools were created for them, they were kept under strict supervision, and their entire lives are formulated so that they will grow up to donate their organs for the rest of the world.
Three donors form the basis of the film, as we see them journey through their tumultuous lives. Tommy, a shy boy who struggles with his place in the world, is befriended by Kathy during the childhood. The two form a close friendship, but it is one that is ultimately ruined by Ruth, who becomes jealous of the two, and sets her sights on Tommy. Kathy is left isolated, as Ruth and Tommy begin dating, but all three find it difficult to come to terms with their roles as donors, and seek ways of preventing their inevitable demise.
Andrew Garfield, of The Social Network fame, plays Tommy, and delivers what is undoubtedly a spectacular performance. Opting for an awkward and quiet delivery throughout makes him an extremely likeable character, even though he is essentially foolish and weak. Keira Knightley plays Ruth, and portrays the deviousness of her character well, whilst displaying the overriding insecurity and vulnerability which seem to cripple her on the inside.
Based on a book, the film delivers the hard hitting message about the dangers of medical science, and the tender frailty of life, with superb results. Be warned, it is a drama with plenty of character exploration, and does not provide an equal measure of action sequences to offset it. The film does lag towards the middle section, and then jumps forward quite rapidly, but overall it is an engaging piece of film with terrific performances.
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