Erm, their reviewer just didn't get it. In fact, one of the oh-so clever objections was answered by the film if they'd paid attention.

Yeah, I think some of the reviews at io9 are more about the reviewers trying to be clever than about reviewing the film as a work of art. But then, as I've learned from being over there for so long now, many of the fans at io9 are more impressed by that than by the actual quality of a book or film. I used to dislike Charlie Jane's reviews, but I realized after a while that she was just giving her readers what they want, which puts her in company with about 90% of critics, so I don't hold it against her that much anymore. I just take it with a grain of salt.

Definitely not for everyone. The very idea of a period-piece which is an alternate-history already throws most folks off. And then turning it into a story about characters and relationships rather than making the what-if? the central feature, is another move which is closer to written science-fiction than to filmic SF. Though one should remember that the novel was published as literature rather than genre fiction; and is by the author of Remains of the Day.

As much as I like Carey Mulligan, I was glad to see the film spend a large chunk of its time on the characters as youngsters. Sure its a downer. But I think that Never Let Me Go is to other films about cloning as Let the Right One In is to other films about Vampires; both invert genre conventions and, having established their premise, spend time focussing on other aspects of the story.

Although I haven't yet seen it, I do know what it's about. I was hoping they would spend time on the characters as youths, so that's promising.

Note, director Mark Romanek also filmed Birth; a tale in which Nicole Kidman plays a widow who is approached by a 10 year old boy born in the moment her husband died who claims to be his reincarnation.

Yes, he of the infamous bathing scene. ;-)