Birthday's to share this week : 14th-20th August 2016

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week?

Andrew Garfield does on 20th August - check out my tribute to this Birthday Boy turning 33, at the end of this feature.

Do you also share your birthday with a well known, highly regarded & famous Actor or Actress; share your special day with a Director, Producer, Writer, Cinematographer, Singer/Songwriter or Composer of repute; or share an interest in whoever might notch up another year in the coming seven days? Then, look no further! Whilst there will be too many to mention in this small but not insignificant and beautifully written and presented Blog, here are the more notable and noteworthy icons of the big screen, and the small screen, that you will recognise, and that you might just share your birthday with in the week ahead. If so, Happy Birthday to you from Odeon Online!

Sunday 14th August

• Mila Kunis - Born 1983, turns 33 - Actress | Producer
• Halle Berry - Born 1966, turns 50 - Actress | Producer
• Marcia Gay Harden - Born 1959, turns 57 - Actress
• Steve Martin - Born 1945, turns 71 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Singer | Songwriter
• Wim Wenders - Born 1945, turns 71 - Director | Producer | Writer  

Monday 15th August

• Ben Affleck - Born 1972, turns 44 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer
• Alejandro G. Inarritu - Born 1963, turns 53 - Director | Producer | Writer | Editor
• Nicolas Roeg - Born 1928, turns 88 - Director | Producer | Writer | Cinematographer 
• Jennifer Lawrence - Born 1990, turns 26 - Actress | Producer
• Debra Messing - Born 1968, turns 48 - Actress
• Natasha Henstridge - Born 1974, turns 42 - Actress  

Tuesday 16th August

• Angela Bassett - Born 1858, turns 58 - Actress | Producer | Director
• Bruce Beresford - Born 1940, turns 76 - Director | Producer | Writer | Editor | Cinematographer
• James Cameron - Born 1954, turns 62 - Director | Producer | Writer | Editor
• Timothy Hutton - Born 1960, turns 56 - Actor | Producer | Director
• Steve Carell - Born 1962, turns 54 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Director | Singer
• Taika Waititi - Born 1975, turns 41 - Director | Producer | Writer | Actor  

Wednesday 17th August

• Steven East - Born 1963, turns 53 - Blogger | Odeon Online originator  
• Robert De Niro - Born 1943, turns 73 - Actor | Producer | Director
• Sean Penn - Born 1960, turns 56 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer
• Donnie Wahlberg - Born 1969, turns 47 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Singer

Thursday 18th August

• Edward Norton - Born 1969, turns 47 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Director | Singer | Songwriter
• Christian Slater - Born 1969, turns 47 - Actor | Producer
• Robert Redford - Born 1936, turns 80 - Actor | Producer | Director 
• Roman Polanski - Born 1933, turns 83 - Director | Producer | Writer | Actor
• Denis Leary - Born 1957, turns 59 - Actor | Producer | Writer
• Madeline Stowe - Born 1958, turns 58 - Actress  

Friday 19th August

• Kyra Sedgwick - Born 1965, turns 51 - Actress | Producer
• Kevin Dillon - Born 1965, turns 51 - Actor
• Matthew Perry - Born 1969, turns 47 - Actor | Producer | Writer  

Saturday 20th August

• Andrew Garfield - Born 1983, turns 33 - Actor
• David O. Russell - Born 1958, turns 58 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Sylvester McCoy - Born 1943, turns 73 - Actor
• David Walliams - Born 1971, turns 45 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Television Personality
• Joan Allen - Born 1956, turns 60 - Actress
• Amy Adams - Born 1974, turns 42 - Actress | Producer  

Andrew Russell Garfield was born in Los Angeles County, California, USA to mother Lynn Hillman from Essex in England and father Richard Garfield a Californian. From three years of age the family relocated to Epsom, Surrey, England. His parents ran an interior design company, with his mother also a nursery school teaching assistant, and his father went on to become head coach of the Guildford Swimming Club. He attended the Priory Preparatory School in Banstead and then the City of London Freemen's School in Ashtead, and then the Central School of Speech and Drama at the University of London, graduating in 2004.

He started taking acting classes at age nine, appearing in a local youth production of 'Bugsy Malone'. Whilst he originally had intended to study business, by the age of sixteen he had become more interested in acting. By 2004 he had been critically lauded for his role in 'Kes' at Manchester's Royal Exchange Theatre for which he picked up two Awards, both in the Best/Outstanding Newcomer category. He made his television debut in 2005 in the British comedy drama series 'Sugar Rush' appearing in five episodes of the total twenty produced running over two seasons. He followed this up in 2007 with two episodes on BBC's 'Doctor Who' series as Frank on 'Dalek's in Manhattan' and 'Evolution of Dalek's'.

Garfield's big screen debut came in 2007 in the Robert Redford Directed 'Lions for Lambs' with Robert Redford also starring along with Tom Cruise and Meryl Streep. Later that year he headlined 'Boy A' for Director John Crowley for which he won a Best Actor Award at the British Academy Television Awards, and much further critical acclaim still. 2008 saw a small role in 'The Other Boleyn Girl' and then Terry Gilliam's 'The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus' in 2009. That same year Garfield appeared in the acclaimed three part television series 'The Red Riding Trilogy 1974, 1980 and 1983'. 

2010 saw what was probably his breakout role alongside Carey Mulligan and Keira Knightley in Mark Romanek's dystopian Sci-Fi thriller 'Never Let Me Go' which won him further critical praise and a Best Supporting Actor Award. David Fincher's 'The Social Network' came next in 2010 alongside Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg, with Justin Timberlake and Armie Hammer. Garfield's role as Eduardo Saverin was highly acclaimed and garnered him both BAFTA and Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actor.

In 2012 he appeared in the reboot of Marvel's Spiderman franchise as our web slinging hero himself in Marc Webb's 'The Amazing Spider-Man'. Again his performance received much positive publicity giving the franchise the boost it needed. The film made US$758M at the Box Office and had Garfield/Spider-Man/Peter Parker star alongside Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy - his love interest in the film, and as it would later turn out, in life too off screen. Both would reprise their roles two years later in 'The Amazing Spider-Man 2' which made US$709M at the Box Office.

Most recently there was '99 Homes' in 2015 with Michael Shannon. In the meantime Garfield hosted two episodes of 'Saturday Night Live', appeared in an 'Arcade Fire' music video for their single 'We Exist', starred on Broadway in the play 'Death of a Salesman' to much critical praise, and over the years has starred in several short films too.

Next up he will star in the London Royal National Theatre production of the two part play 'Angels in America' from April 2017. 'Hacksaw Ridge' for Director Mel Gibson with Vince Vaughn and a huge Australian cast including Sam Worthington, Hugo Weaving, Luke Bracey, Richard Roxburgh, Ryan Corr, Teresa Palmer and Rachel Griffiths is due in November this year. Falling in December is 'Silence' for Martin Scorsese with Liam Neeson, Adam Driver and Ciaran Hinds. 'Breathe' is currently filming for a 2017 release for Director Andy Serkis, and 'Under the Silver Lake' for David Robert Mitchell with Dakota Johnson also starring is in pre-production also for a later 2017 release.

All up Garfield has 26 screen acting credits to his name, with eleven award wins and another 52 nominations. He holds dual US and UK citizenship, was dating Actress Emma Stone up until late 2015, is an Ambassador of Sport for the Worldwide Orphans Foundation, and supports same sex marriage.

Andrew Garfield - has achieved so much in a relatively short period of time; mixes it up between stage, screen and TV; has garnered way much more positivity that not; is clearly in demand with A-list Actors and Directors; is grounded in the real world; and is a star very much on the rise. We love your work Andrew - Happy Birthday to you, from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

Birthday's to share this week : 22nd-28th May 2016.

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week?

Alex Garland does on 26th May - check out my tribute to this Birthday Boy turning 46, at the end of this feature.

Do you also share your birthday with a well known, highly regarded & famous Actor or Actress; share your special day with a Director, Producer, Writer, Cinematographer, Singer/Songwriter or Composer of repute; or share an interest in whoever might notch up another year in the coming seven days? Then, look no further! Whilst there will be too many to mention in this small but not insignificant and beautifully written and presented Blog, here are the more notable and noteworthy icons of the big screen, and the small screen, that you will recognise, and that you might just share your birthday with in the week ahead. If so, Happy Birthday to you from Odeon Online!

Sunday 22nd May

•  Maggie Q - Born 1979, turns 37 - Actress | Producer 
•  Ann Cusack - Born 1961, turns 55 - Actress 

Monday 23rd May 

• Melissa McBride - Born 1965, turns 51 - Actress   
• Joan Collins - Born 1933, turns 83 - Actress | Producer
• Drew Carey - Born 1958, turns 58 - Television Personality | Actor | Writer | Producer  
• John Ortiz - Born 1968, turns 48 - Actor | Producer
• Ryan Coogler - Born 1986, turns 30 - Writer | Director
• Tom Tykwer - Born 1965, turns 51 - Writer | Producer | Director | Composer | Singer | Songwriter

Tuesday 24th May

• John C. Reilly - Born 1965, turns 51 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Singer | Songwriter  
• Jim Broadbent - Born 1949, turns 67 - Actor | Writer
• Alfred Molina - Born 1953, turns 63 - Actor | Producer
• Gary Burghoff - Born 1943, turns 73 - Actor | Director
• Roger Deakins - Born 1949, turns 67 - Cinematographer | Cameraman
• Kristen Scott Thomas - Born 1960, turns 56 - Actress  

Wednesday 25th May

• Octavia Spencer - Born 1970, turns 46 - Actress | Producer  
• Jacki Weaver - Born 1947, turns 69 - Actress
• Frank Oz - Born 1944, turns 72 - Actor | Producer | Director | Singer
• Mike Myers - Born 1963, turns 53 - Actor | Writer | Producer | Director | Singer | Songwriter
• Ian McKellen - Born 1939, turns 77 - Actor | Producer | Writer
• Cillian Murphy - Born 1976, turns 40 - Actor  

Thursday 26th May

• Alex Garland - Born 1970, turns 46 - Writer | Producer | Director 
• Pam Grier - Born 1949, turns 67 - Actress
• Helena Bonham Carter - Born 1966, turns 50 - Actress | Singer  

Friday 27th May

• Paul Bettany - Born 1971, turns 45 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Director
• Joseph Fiennes - Born 1970, turns 46 - Actor
• Louis Gossett Jnr. - Born 1936, turns 80 - Actor | Producer | Director  

Saturday 28th May

• Irwin Winkler - Born 1931, turns 85 - Producer | Director | Writer  
• Kylie Minogue - Born 1968, turns 48 - Actress | Producer | Writer | Singer
• Sondra Locke - Born 1944, turns 72 - Actress | Director
• Carey Mulligan - Born 1985, turns 31 - Actress 

Alexander Medawar Garland was born in London, England to mother Caroline Medawar, a psychoanalyst and father Nicholas Garland - a political cartoonist who drew for the likes of The Daily Telegraph and The Independent newspapers. Early on he had designs on becoming a journalist having grown up around the industry given his fathers career interests. He attended the University of Manchester and graduated in 1992 with a BA degree in History of Art.

In the early 90's whilst working dead-end jobs and claiming unemployment benefit the young Garland penned his first novel - 'The Beach' - published in 1996. It went on to become a best seller - based on a young backpackers journey through Thailand in search of an idyllic, unspoilt and legendary beach occupied only by a small community of loving, sharing, caring international backpackers. In 2000 the successful book was made into a successful film Directed by Danny Boyle and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Tilda Swinton and Robert Carlyle. The film made US$144M off its US$50M budget.

In 1999, his follow up novel 'The Tesseract' told the story of interwoven lives of gangsters, mothers and street kids set in Manilla. Not as successful as his former novel, it was nonetheless made into a film in 2003 with Jonathan Rhys-Meyers and Saskia Reeves.

In 2002 he wrote the screenplay for '28 Days Later' - a post apocalyptic horror thriller that is largely credited for reinvigorating the zombie genre. Directed by Danny Boyle for just US$8M it returned US$83M and was hailed a critical and commercial success. The film starred Cillian Murphy, Brendan Gleeson, Christopher Ecclestone and Naomi Harris. Garland served as Executive Producer on the 2007 follow-up '28 Weeks Later' with Robert Carlyle, Jeremy Renner, Idris Elba, Imogen Poots and Rose Byrne.

Next up, Garland wrote the screenplay for 'Sunshine' - his third collaboration with Director Danny Boyle in this Sci-Fi thriller starring Cillian Murphy again, and Rose Byrne, Chris Evans, Mark Strong and Michelle Yeoh. The film receive mixed reviews and failed to make back its US$40M budget costs.

He followed this up with his next screenplay for 'Never Let Me Go' based on the Kazuo Ishiguro novel as Directed by Mark Romanek with Keira Knightley, Carey Mulligan, Charlotte Rampling and Andrew Garfield.  This dystopian alternate time romantic drama was critically well received but less so commercially, also failing to recover its US$15M outlay. Garland acted as Executive Producer on this film too.

'Dredd' was next in 2012 which Garland wrote the Screenplay for and Produced based on the popular Sci-Fi Action comic strip 'Judge Dredd'. Directed by Pete Travis it starred Karl Urban in the title role and just about recovered its budget costs. Garland also Executive Produced 'Big Game' in 2014 with Samuel L. Jackson, Victor Garber and Jim Broadbent in this action throwback to the films of the same ilk from the 80's and 90's. It made just US$7.5M but received generally positive reviews off its limited cinema release.

In 2015 Garland made his Directing debut with 'Ex Machina' which he also wrote. This artificial intelligence thriller starred Alicia Vikander, Domhnall Gleeson and Oscar Isaac, won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects and gained Garland an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay, and all up another 59 award wins and 131 nominations. This film made a modest US$37M off its US$15M budget.

Next up Garland is Directing 'Annihilation' for which he has also written the Screenplay based on the award winning book of the same name by Jeff VanderMeer. Filming was due to start this month on this Science Fiction story which is the first in the 'Southern Reach' trilogy, for a 2017 release and stars Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Oscar Isaac and David Gyasi. 'Halo' has also been announced based on the hugely popular Military Science Fiction video game for which he wrote a screenplay back in 2005 and was paid US$1M to do so, but was subsequently shelved, but seems to be firmly back on the Production table.

Garland has eleven writing credits to his name, four Producer credits and two Director credits. He has seventeen awards wins under his belt and another 47 nominations. He is married to British Actress Paloma Baeza with whom he has two children - Eva and Milo.

Alex Garland - heavily influenced by science and science-fiction; a writer of compelling stories and now a Director of them too; has proven so much with relatively little; and gives us great reasons to go to the movies - Happy Birthday to you Alex, from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

Birthday's to share this week : 24th - 30th May 2015.

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week?

Carey Mulligan does on 28th May - check out the tribute to this Birthday Girl turning 30, at the end of this feature.

Do you also share your birthday with a well known, highly regarded & famous Actor or Actress; share your special day with a Director, Producer, Writer, Cinematographer, Singer/Songwriter or Composer of repute; or share an interest in whoever might notch up another year in the coming seven days? Then, look no further! Whilst there will be too many to mention in this small but not insignificant and beautifully written and presented Blog, here are the more notable and noteworthy icons of the big screen, and the small screen, that you will recognise, and that you might just share your birthday with in the week ahead. If so, Happy Birthday to you from Odeon Online!

Sunday 24th May

• Kristen Scott Thomas - Born 1960, turns 55 - Actress
• John C. Reilly - Born 1965, turns 50 - Actor | Writer | Producer
• Alfred Molina - Born 1953, turns 62 - Actor | Producer
• Jim Broadbent - Born 1949, turns 66 - Actor
• Roger Deakins - Born 1949, turns 66 - Cinematographer

Monday 25th May

• Cillian Murphy - Born 1976, turns 39 - Actor
• Ian McKellen - Born 1939, turns 76 - Actor | Writer
• Mike Meyers - Born 1963, turns 52 - Actor | Writer | Singer | Songwriter
• Frank Oz - Born 1944, turns 71 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Anne Heche - Born 1969, turns 46 - Actress | Writer | Producer | Director
• Jacki Weaver - Born 1947, turns 68 - Actress

Tuesday 26th May 

• Helena Bonham Carter - Born 1966, turns 49 - Actress
• Pam Grier - Born 1949, turns 66 - Actress
• Matt Stone - Born 1971, turns 44 - Writer | Producer | Actor
• Lenny Kravitz - Born 1964, turns 51 - Singer | Songwriter | Actor

Wednesday 27th May

• Paul Bettany - Born 1971, turns 44 - Actor | Producer | Director
• Christopher Lee - Born 1922, turns 93 - Actor
• Joseph Fiennes - Born 1970, turns 45 - Actor
• Louis Gossett Jnr. - Born 1936, turns 79 - Actor | Producer | Director

Thursday 28th May

• Carey Mulligan - Born 1985, turns 30 - Actress
• Kylie Minogue - Born 1968, turns 47 - Singer | Songwriter | Actress | Writer
• Sondra Locke - Born 1944, turns 71 - Actress | Director

Friday 29th May

• Annette Benning - Born 1958, turns 57 - Actress
• Rupert Everett - Born 1959, turns 56 - Actor | Producer | Director
• Danny Elfman - Born 1953, turns 62 - Composer | Actor

Saturday 30th May

• Antoine Fuqua - Born 1965, turns 50 - Director | Producer
• Duncan Jones - Born 1971, turns 44 - Director | Producer
• Harry Enfield - Born 1961, turns 54 - Actor | Producer | Director

Carey Hannah Mulligan was born in Westminster, London to mother Nano Booth, a university lecturer, and father Stephen, a hotel manager. At three years of age the family moved to Germany where the young Carey's father had transferred to manage a hotel there. While living in Germany Carey and her brother Owain, attended the International School of Dusseldorf. Five years later, aged eight, the family returned to England where as a teenager she was educated at Woldingham School.

From aged six her interest in acting was sparked by her brothers performance in a school production of 'The King & I'. While at Woldingham School she involved herself in theatre and was the student head of drama while herself performing in musicals, plays and actively supporting productions.

Her parents were disapproving of her desire to pursue an acting career, instead wanting to attend university like her brother. She applied to three London drama schools but failed to gain an offer. In her last year at school author/writer/Director and Politician Julian Fellowes gave a lecture on the production of 'Gosford Park'. She sought advice from Fellowes which led to a dinner invitation for aspiring young Actors to gain advice on their chosen career path. That dinner in turn led to an introduction with a casting assistant and an audition for 2005's 'Pride and Prejudice' which she eventually scored in the role of Kitty Bennett.

Working in a pub and as a errand runner at Ealing Studios she first trod the boards at 19 in 'Forty Winks' at London's Royal Court Theatre. In 2005 she auditioned too for the BBC adaptation of Dicken's 'Bleak House' for which she won the BAFTA Award in her television debut having starred with Judi Dench, Donald Sutherland and Keira Knightley. In 2006 she starred in several TV shows including 'The Amazing Mrs. Pritchard', 'Agatha Christie's Marple', 'Trial & Retribution X', 'Waking the Dead', 'Northanger Abbey', 'My Boy Jack' and 'Doctor Who', as well as the stage play 'The Seagull' with Kristen Scott Thomas and Chiwetel Ejiofor,

In 2009 at just 24 her first lead role hit our screens with 'An Education' by Lone Scherfig and written by Nick Hornby. Further to her breakout role she won a BAFTA Award as well as nominations for an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, a Screen Actors Guild Award and the BAFTA Rising Star Award. That same year she starred in 'The Greatest' with Pierce Brosnan and Susan Sarandon.







Next up was 'Never Let Me Go' with Keira Knightley in 2010, together with Oliver Stone's 'Wall Street : Money Never Sleeps'. The following year came a return to the stage with 'Through a Glass Darkly' which like many of her works to date was much praised and highly lauded. This led to 'Drive' for Director Nicholas Winding Refn and starring Ryan Gosling, Bryan Cranston, Albert Brooks, and Oscar Isaac for which she was nominated for her second BAFTA for Best Supporting Actress. Steve McQueen's 'Shame' with Michael Fassbender followed that same year and the two latter films debuting at the Cannes and Venice Film Festivals respectively.

In 2013 she starred alongside Leonardo DiCaprio in Baz Luhrmann's 'The Great Gatsby' followed by Joel & Ethan Coen's 'Inside Llewyn Davis' with Oscar Isaac once again. Following this was the TV mini-series 'The Spolis of Babylon', the 'Skylight' with Bill Nighy and Directed by Stephen Daldry, with 'Far from the Madding Crowd' and 'Suffragette' with Meryl Streep and Helena Bonham Carter both due later this year.

To date Mulligan has 24 acting credits to her name, and 43 awards wins including the BAFTA for 'An Education' and a further 49 nominations including Academy Award and the Golden Globe nods for 'An Education' and the BAFTA for 'Drive'.

In 2009 she participated in the 'Safe Project' to raise awareness of sex trafficking, she has been  an ambassador for the Alzheimer's Society since 2012, and from 2014 for 'War Child' also. She married Marcus Mumford (of Mumford & Sons) in April 2012, and they are expecting their first child this year.

Carey Mulligan - so much talent from someone still so young; experienced in film, TV and theatre; determined and focused; grounded and humble; charmingly playboyish and beautiful too - Happy 30th Birthday to you from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

NEVER LET ME GO : archive from 16th April 2011.

I saw 'NEVER LET ME GO' this week not knowing exactly what to expect and was very pleasantly surprised by this English set Sci-Fi drama weepie! This is a thought provoking story written for the screen by Alex Garland based on the popular 2005 novel of the same name by Kazuo Ishiguro, and Directed by Mark Romanek. Made for US$15M it grossed just US$10M in global Box Office receipts and a further US$2M or so in DVD sales, as well as seven awards wins and a further 25 nominations from around the traps.

The film is set over three time lines - the first tells us that in the early 50's a medical breakthrough meant that the human life span could be extended beyond one hundred years. As the film opens the narrator is standing behind a glass partition looking at a man being operated on in hospital. The woman is 28 year old Kathy (Carey Mulligan) and she is looking at Tommy (Andrew Garfield). She thinks about her early childhood at the seemingly idyllic English Boarding School, Hailsham, in the 70's and her more recent adult life since leaving there. Hailsham however, was no ordinary school - the traditional subjects taught were secondary to artistic expression - drawing, painting and such like - the best of which were hung on display in The Gallery, overseen by a mystery woman known only as Madame (Nathalie Richard).

A new teacher arrives, Miss Lucy (Sally Hawkins) who one day secretly advises the children that they exist only as 'donors' for their organs to be transplanted into those they were cloned from originally, or others that have the means to do so. The harsh reality that the children will therefore 'complete', or die at a relatively young age is then realised. Miss Lucy is promptly dismissed from the school by the Headmistress (Charlotte Rampling). As time passes and the children resign themselves to their fate Kathy and Tommy develop feelings for one another, but Tommy then falls for Ruth (Keira Knightley) another student at the school. Despite this the three friends form a strong bond.

Now aged 18 the three friends are rehoused into cottages on a farm and allowed out on occasional day trips. They learn from others at the farm of a 'deferral' programme whereby donors who are in love, and that this can be proven, can gain a temporary reprieve from organ donorship. Tommy believes that the artwork hung back in The Gallery at Hailsham was so that the authorities could determine if the young students had a soul and could truly feel emotion. Tommy and Ruth's relationship becomes stronger and so Kathy needing to distance herself leaves, having secured a role as a 'carer' for those clones going through the process of organ donorship. For her this is a temporary reprieve from the fate that she knows awaits her too.

Fast forward, and it is now ten years hence and Kathy has not seen Tommy or Ruth in those intervening years. By chance one day Kathy still working as a carer meets Ruth who by now is frail having made two organ donations already. They find Tommy who is also weakened from his own donorship, and the three of them drive to the seaside to relive some former memories and get reacquainted. Ruth admits that she knew that Tommy & Kathy should always have been together and she seeks their forgiveness, and also announces that she believes she can make amends, and having located Madame they can seek a 'deferral' for Tommy and Kathy to be together. Soon after this Ruth dies on the operating table during a further organ removal.

Tommy and Kathy meet with Madame who advises that there never was a 'deferral' programme, and the purpose of the artwork was to determine if the children had souls at all, and that Hailsham was the last school of its kind to examine the ethical implications of the donor programme. As they leave to return home in the car, Tommy asks for Kathy to pull over and in a fit of rage breaks down. The two embrace knowing that their fate is sealed. In the closing sequence we return to where it all began - with Kathy looking down at Tommy on the operating table, and as he smiles to her, and she smiles back knowing too that her time is now limited.

This is a surprising thought provoking film that is well crafted, well acted and considered in its approach to the subject matter. Domhnall Gleeson and Andrea Riseborough also star, and for a small little British film it punches above its weight, and is well worth searching out now on DVD or download.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-