I’ve found it hard to write down my opinions on Never Let Me Go because, after seeing it at a screening last night, I’m still not entirely sure what I think of it. What can clearly be said is that it’s a solid slice of British filmmaking that comes in a year stuffed full of excellent British films. The Kings Speech, Four Lions, Another Year and 127 Hours (if that counts) all feel instantly watchable and not overly morbid or exclusively British.

Carey Mulligan and Andrew Garfield were both excellent and clearly have big careers ahead of them, and the film was beautifully shot - its parallel Britain looking familiar yet distant. But, while the central relationships were intriguing and carried emotional punch, I took issue with the plot’s central construct. Essentially revolving around enslaved clones being treated like animals, it never felt believable or fully developed. Presumably designed to provoke ethical debate when applied to our own notions consumerism, the concept seemed all too literal in the film, whereas I expect the original novel (which I admittedly haven’t read) leaves more room to read between the lines.