"You have to know who you are and what you are. It’s the only way you’ll lead decent lives."

The Next Reel’s Speakeasy is an ongoing series of ours in which we invite an industry guest to join us and bring along one of their favorite movies to talk about. In this month’s episode, costume designer Alana Morshead joins us to talk about one of her favorite films, Mark Romanek’s 2010 film “Never Let Me Go” based on the book by Kazuo Ishiguro.

We talk about the science fiction nature of this story and how it really operates more as a minor element of the world-building, allowing the viewers to focus so much more on the three main characters in the film and their relationships. We discuss the choices made by Romanek in the look of the film, the way the camera moved, and the nature of the love story. We look at what Carey Mulligan, Andrew Garfield and Keira Knightley bring to the table as the three principal characters, and how they compare with their youthful counterparts. And we struggle with the fact that this film didn’t connect with its audience, leaving it in the red by the time it left theatres, which really is a disappointment considering how much we really enjoyed it. 

It’s a touching film and a fascinating glimpse at what strong writers can do with their science fiction. It’s something we enjoyed then found we connected to it more and more as time wore on. And it’s a thrill to have had it introduced to us finally as we’d both clearly missed it when it was released. So hopefully you’ll check it out, then tune in to the show!

Film Sundries

Learn how to support our show and The Next Reel’s family of film podcasts by becoming a member. It's just $5 monthly or $55 annually. Learn more here.

Follow the other podcasts in The Next Reel’s family of film podcasts:

Join the conversation with movie lovers from around the world in our Discord community!

Here’s where you can find us around the internet:

What are some other ways you can support us and show your love? Glad you asked!