Sometimes I feel a bit silly for learning the plot of an upcoming movie by reading the novel it was based on – NEVER LET ME GO was one of those times.

The film is truly haunting, as we are only given slivers of truth to carry us through most of the story. What’s worse, is that it feels like these characters are only given slivers of truth themselves. As one rebellious teacher puts it to her rather young class “You have been told, and not told”. The sad souls of these students burns bright in their eyes…but why would that be, when they all seem destined for such a dismal fate?

The three young leads in the film – Carey Mulligan, Keira Knightley, and Andrew Garfield – all give very heartbreaking performances. Interestingly, this story being what it is, they’ll all break your heart for different reasons.

Director Mark Romanek has been away from Hollywood for eight long years, and he makes up for lost time with NEVER LET ME GO in the way that the whole film has a subtle visual splendour. Truthfully, if I didn’t know better, I’d swear that every shot was captured by available light.

NEVER LET ME GO is a film that I’ll be doing a full review on very soon, so I won’t say too much more here. I do feel slightly foolish to have read the book so close to the film, but it didn’t take any of the edge this sad and splendid film.

NEVER LET ME GO opens in theatres next Friday, September 24th