Quick Takes: Scott Pilgrim Vs The World, Never Let Me Go

Capping the week with two ambitious, though not entirely successful films.

Edgar Wright is the hottest director in town. After the huge success of Shaun of the Dead, he made the great Hot Fuzz (one of my favorite films of '07). Now, he takes on a popular comic book with Scott Pilgrim Vs The World (2010), easily his most creative project yet. It follows a young 20-something rock star wannabe who falls in love with a colorful girl named Ramona Flowers. In order to date her, though, he must fight and defeat her seven exes. The film's hypnotic flashy style complements the story's fusion of romance, video games, fantasy and rock. This is Michael Cera's best work since Juno, and he is surrounded by a terrific supporting cast, including Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Chris Evans and especially the great Kieran Culkin. I enjoyed the film immensely, though it was losing steam in the last act. Couldn't it have been four exes instead of seven? 3.5/5

Never Let Me Go (2010) is another adaptation from a popular source, though it couldn't be any more different from Scott Pilgrim. Director Mark Romanek and writer Alex Garland adapts Kazuo Ishiguro's highly-regarded novel about young friends struggling to come to terms with their pre-determined destinies. That's about as vague as I can get without giving away the dark, eerie twist. It's a beautiful story with touching performances by Carey Mulligan, Keira Knightly and Andrew Garfield. Everything about it, honestly, is solid across the board. Except....well...I didn't feel much when it was all over. Some critics called this film "sterile" and now I see why. Where's the heart? There should have been tears. Still, an admirable, well-made attempt. 3/5