Variety is the spice of life down at the BFI. After opening last October's London Film Festival with the furry delights of Fantastic Mr. Fox, the esteemed film body has gone all sci-fi this year, picking Mark Romanek's Never Let Me Go to get the jamboree under way on October 13.
It looks like a worthy pick. Adapted from Kazuo Ishiguro's Booker shortlisted novel, **Never Let Me Go **is set in a near-future, dystopian Britain and poses profound questions on life, humanity and the responsibilities of science within modern society. And if that's not enough, it's got Spider-Man in it.
Andrew Garfield - for 'tis he - plays Hailsham School pupil Tommy. Along with Kathy (Carey Mulligan) and Ruth (Keira Knightley), he's confronted with some stark truths about the nature of his education, while embarking on a tender rite of passage in an idyllic corner of England. In Romanek's hands it's safe to expect arresting visuals to match the emotional heft of the tale. Check out the trailer here to see what we mean.
The LFF - or The 54th BFI London Film Festival to give it its full name - runs from October 13-28, 2010. We'll be on hand with the full line-up next month and covering the festival in micro-detail. If it so much as sneezes, we'll be there to wipe its nose.