Kathy, Tommy and Ruth spend their childhood in a boarding school, but this is no ordinary school and nor are they ordinary children. As they learn from a new teacher who feels it important they learn who they are, they are donor children conceived specifically to provide organ donations to the general population. Among the shock of this notion a bond forms between Tommy and Ruth, one that Kathy seems to dislike, but as the trio grow up and are moved to a middle house before they start their donations she lets the relationship continue. Kathy becomes a caretaker, someone who looks after the donors until they have completed (died) and it's during this time Kathy has an opportunity to have the relationship with Tommy she's longed for and if rumours are true possibly have a chance to live as a normal couple for some time.
Based on the best selling book, this is a very intriguing story; it is set in the 70/80's in what is a alternate history to what we live in. The very notion that people are bred simply to provide organ donations makes for a very uneasy prospect and by the time they start to donate, it made me feel quite sick, the thought that you may donate two, three or more times, each time getting sicker and weaker. But it's also tragic that these people's lives have been already chosen and that there is no way out. The film works well really splitting it into two eras, with our trio of characters introduced to us as children and then young adults, we almost grow up with them which makes the outcomes even more the difficult.
With it's wonderful recreation of the era, filmed with muted tones the film looks wonderful and performances from the young cast are excellent for the most part; I seriously dislike Keira Knightly - that mouth is annoying to watch, but this is not her film, it's Carey Mulligan and in this she is superb, playing the reserved Kathy. Sally Hawkins and Charlotte Rampling also have small but pivotal roles. The film falters a little because it doesn't explore the donation idea enough for the audience to understand, whilst there are hints that each donor has a 'double', it's left very ambiguous and the film never strays very far from our trio and their direct involvement.
However this is startling effective, beautifully made film that is ultimately very tragic and at times very moving and is enough to give me the urge to read the book.
More of my reviews at my site iheartfilms.weebly.com
Based on the best selling book, this is a very intriguing story; it is set in the 70/80's in what is a alternate history to what we live in. The very notion that people are bred simply to provide organ donations makes for a very uneasy prospect and by the time they start to donate, it made me feel quite sick, the thought that you may donate two, three or more times, each time getting sicker and weaker. But it's also tragic that these people's lives have been already chosen and that there is no way out. The film works well really splitting it into two eras, with our trio of characters introduced to us as children and then young adults, we almost grow up with them which makes the outcomes even more the difficult.
With it's wonderful recreation of the era, filmed with muted tones the film looks wonderful and performances from the young cast are excellent for the most part; I seriously dislike Keira Knightly - that mouth is annoying to watch, but this is not her film, it's Carey Mulligan and in this she is superb, playing the reserved Kathy. Sally Hawkins and Charlotte Rampling also have small but pivotal roles. The film falters a little because it doesn't explore the donation idea enough for the audience to understand, whilst there are hints that each donor has a 'double', it's left very ambiguous and the film never strays very far from our trio and their direct involvement.
However this is startling effective, beautifully made film that is ultimately very tragic and at times very moving and is enough to give me the urge to read the book.
More of my reviews at my site iheartfilms.weebly.com