Students of Hailsham are special.

I took m'self on a date tonight.

I was pretty charming, and really old fashioned, paid for everything, opened the door for myself, and at the end of the night I tried to get a little fresh, and...well, a girl never kisses and tells.

Too far? ...too far.

As a kick start to my fall break, Duncan (my stud of a Jeep) took me out to see Mark Romanek's Never Let Me Go. I've been very intrigued by this film since seeing the exceptional trailer. (Seriously. Click that thing. It makes me all teary.) Directed by Mark Romanek, the man behind handfuls of famous music videos, as well as the Robin Williams-fronted One Hour Photo, this film was, in short: often poignant, but missing something.

First off, the good (great, even):

The cast? Incredible. Stand up performances across the board- Carey Mulligan leading the way, proving herself capable of an Academy Award someday. Soon. Next up, the popularity ladder quick-climber: Andrew Garfield. You know him as the Social Network's Eduardo Saverin, and coming soon, the new Peter Parker. Another one to keep your eye on, as I predict he will soon, very, very soon be cradling an Oscar. Garfield is profound as Tommy, meticulously acted, he gives a heartbreaking performance...eventually. Then there is wildly overrated Kiera Knightly, who should also be proud of this performance. This one performance. Maybe two others. Maybe.

I digress...

Really, the only negative things I can say about the film reside in the story.

Some of the characters decisions don't make sense. The plot surrounds a love triangle between three childhood friends, who grew up in a very interesting manner. Watching it unfold felt inauthentic. Sometimes too obvious, mostly just disingenuous.

Also bothersome: there is a sci-fi undertone introduced almost immediately, which was carried throughout the film in small details, which are never really explained. It wasn't enough to distract me from the bigger picture Romanek wanted me to focus on, but it was distracting. No doubt in my mind they were things that the readers of the novel, written by Kashuo Ishiguro, understood and appreciated, but the lack of explanation for the rest of us was frustrating.

For me, the story had holes, and lacked some heart. But that's not to say I didn't enjoy it. Everything else about the film was absolutely beautifully done. From performance to cinematography to score, it was flawless. If that story were patched up a bit, you would've had a crier on your hands, Romanek. So close.

My Rating: 8/10.