There’s something strange about the classmates who attend Hailsham, a boarding school in the English countryside. What sets these children apart won’t be revealed here, but it is a surprising, and troubling secret. Plot follows the lives of three of its students. Japanese–English novelist Kazuo Ishiguro, who also wrote The Remains of the Day, specializes in stories concerning the human condition. What goes on in the mind, the mental, is just as important as the actions portrayed, the physical. That makes adapting his books a bit difficult, yet director Mark Romanek succeeds on many levels. This is a beautifully filmed, well written and tastefully acted drama. What it lacks is the warmth and heart that would make us more emotionally connected to these characters. Everyone is so cold, it makes the degradation of civil rights in this society, hard to accept. Still, there is much to recommend if you’re a fan of dystopian fiction (think 1984, Brave New World or Fahrenheit 451). A chilling warning for future generations.
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2 Responses
The concept seems very interesting. I am very interested in watching this.
I completely loved this film! I didn’t really feel that the characters were so much cold as they were unaware of how to show real affection socially, which I suppose did make them seem a bit cold. For me though, I felt like each of them showed so much of their feeling in their face (especially their eyes) that I didn’t see them as cold at all. I wish I could go through every scene that I loved, but I’m sure this would end up being even longer than the original script, so I’ll just mention one. I love the scene where Cathy H. sees Ruth hold Tommy’s hand at the assembly & the flush of heart break wells in her little face. I loved all the little & not so little waves of emotion. It was an excellent cast made better by the pretty amazing Mark Romanek & a beautiful score. Watch it, you’ll love it & if you don’t, then I guess there’s something wrong with you? 😉