Take This Waltz (2011)

Director:

Sarah Polley

Writer:

Sarah Polley (written by)

Release Date:

10 February 2012 (Taiwan)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot:

A happily married woman falls for the artist who lives across the street.

Plot Keywords:

Artist | Imperative In Title | Cape Breton Island | Cookbook | Perrier Water

Awards:

3 wins & 11 nominations

Cast

Michelle Williams	...	Margot
Seth Rogen	...	Lou
Luke Kirby	...	Daniel
Sarah Silverman	...	Geraldine
Jennifer Podemski	...	Karen
Diane D'Aquila	...	Harriet
Vanessa Coelho	...	Tony
Graham Abbey	...	James
Damien Atkins	...	Aquafit Instructor
Aaron Abrams	...	Aaron
Dyan Bell	...	Dyan
Albert Howell	...	Albert
Danielle Miller	...	Danielle
Matt Baram	...	Matt
Avi Phillips	...	Avi
Diane Flacks	...	Diane
Cheryl MacInnis	...	Flight Attendant
Ciarán MacGillivray	...	Soldier
Roy MacNeil	...	Period Priest
Sandy MacLean	...	Town Crier
John Dunsworth	...	Tourist
Barnieta Runnings	...	Shower Lady #1
Mary Pitt	...	Shower Lady #2
Rosalind S. Feldman	...	Shower Lady #3
Mike Follert	...	Man on the Porch
Jean-Michel Le Gal	...	Police Officer
Samantha Farrow	...	Threesome Lady
Dustin Peters	...	Threesome Dude
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Peter Mansbridge	...	Himself - CBC Anchor (archive footage) (uncredited)
Llyane Stanfield	...	Traveler (uncredited)

Directed by
Sarah Polley

Writing credits
Sarah Polley		(written by)

Produced by
D.J. Carson	....	line producer
Susan Cavan	....	producer
Sarah Polley	....	producer
David Sandomierski	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Jonathan Goldsmith

Cinematography by
Luc Montpellier		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Christopher Donaldson

Casting by
John Buchan
Jason Knight

Production Design by
Matthew Davies

Art Direction by
Aleksandra Marinkovich		(as Aleks Marinkovich)

Set Decoration by
Steve Shewchuk

Costume Design by
Lea Carlson

Makeup Department
David R. Beecroft	....	hair department head
Catherine Boyd	....	first assistant makeup artist: Louisbourg
Jim Macdonald	....	first assistant hair stylist: Louisbourg (as Jim MacDonald)
Jo-Ann MacNeil	....	first assistant makeup artist
Leslie Ann Sebert	....	makeup department head
Sondra Treilhard	....	first assistant hair stylist

Production Management
Craig Cameron	....	production manager: Halifax
D.J. Carson	....	unit production manager
Joanne Jackson	....	production manager
Claude Nearing	....	production manager: Louisbourg
Douglas Wilkinson	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Adam Bocknek	....	third assistant director (as Adam 'Bucky' Bocknek)
Missy Dingman	....	trainee assistant director
David Forsyth	....	second assistant director
Daniel J. Murphy	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Rob Bonney	....	head carpenter
Malcolm Byard	....	set dresser
Carlos Caneca	....	lead set dresser
Dwight Doerksen	....	construction coordinator
David Evans	....	on-set dresser
Neil Floyd	....	first assistant art director
Aaron Godd	....	set dresser
Robert Grani	....	set decorator: Louisbourg (as Rib Grani)
Alexandra Hooper	....	set buyer
Sasha Jergejewski	....	assistant property master: Louisbourg
Elis Lam	....	set draftsperson
Raymond MacDonald	....	on-set dresser: Louisbourg
Rob McCallum	....	storyboard artist
Samuel McDonald Lemoine	....	set dresser: Louisbourg
Mario Moreira	....	assistant property master
James R. Murray	....	property master (as Jim Murray)
Robert Olah	....	set dresser
Victor 'Chikko' Ouon	....	head painter
Dave Rosa	....	key scenic artist
Rachel Woroner	....	art department production assistant
Balint Zasko	....	artist: original art work

Sound Department
Wade Barnett	....	adr recordist
David Berti	....	dolby sound consultant
David Caporale	....	second assistant sound editor
Kathy Choi	....	foley editor
Erik Culp	....	foley recording mixer
Brian Gallagher	....	adr recordist
Steve Hammond	....	foley artist
Kirk Lynds	....	sound re-recording mixer
Travis MacKay	....	adr recordist
David McCallum	....	adr editor
David McCallum	....	dialogue editor
Steve Medeiros	....	first assistant sound editor
Joe Morrow	....	studio assistant
John Naslen	....	adr recordist (as John Naslun)
Ian Rankin	....	foley recording mixer
Lou Solakofski	....	supervising sound re-recording mixer
Paul Talbott	....	adr recordist
Jane Tattersall	....	supervising sound editor
John J. Thomson	....	sound mixer (as John Thomson)
Alan Zielonko	....	boom operator

Special Effects by
Tim Lidstone	....	special effects technician
Laird McMurray	....	special effects coordinator
Matthew Tulk	....	key special effects

Visual Effects by
Corina Clarin	....	visual effects coordinator: Rocket Science VFX
Gary Couto	....	compositor: Rocket Science VFX
Robert Crowther	....	visual effects supervisor: Rocket Science VFX
Tony Cybulski	....	compositor: Rocket Science VFX
Kaitlyn Lovatt	....	compositor: Rocket Science VFX
Joel Skeete	....	compositor: Rocket Science VFX
Iqbal Zafar	....	compositor: Rocket Science VFX

Stunts
Alison Reid	....	stunt coordinator
Robert C. Shannon	....	water safety

Camera and Electrical Department
Allan Angus	....	generator operator
Max Armstrong	....	second second assistant camera
Lori Ann Bellefontaine	....	generator operator: Louisbourg (as Lori Bellefontaine)
Pierre Berube	....	best boy electric
Michael Blatchford	....	second assistant camera
Bill Campbell	....	lamp operator
Andrew Caney	....	grip
Jason Capstick	....	grip: Louisbourg
Robyn Clarke	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera
Johnny Cochrane	....	first assistant camera: "bv" camera, Louisbourg (as John Cpchrane)
Terry Daly	....	grip: Louisbourg
Byrd Dickens	....	lamp operator
Matt Eakin	....	lamp operator: Louisbourg
Rob Eshelby	....	lamp operator: Louisbourg
Darcy Fraser	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera, Louisbourg
Michael Gibson	....	still photographer
Gerald Gillis	....	lamp operator: Louisbourg
Jim Holmes	....	best boy grip (as James Holmes)
Sean Jensen	....	camera operator
Sean Jensen	....	steadicam operator
Robert Johnson	....	key grip
Terry Kelly	....	gaffer
Dino Laurenza	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Forbes MacDonald	....	camera operator: "b" camera, Louisbourg (as Forbes McDonald)
Scott MacDonald	....	dolly grip: Louisbourg
Scott MacDonald	....	key grip: Louisbourg
Jason McGowan	....	grip
Robert Mountjoy	....	first assistant camera
Akira Nishihata	....	first assistant camera:
Bob Poole	....	generator operator
Marc Purdy	....	grip
Ron Renzetti	....	dolly grip
Augustina Saygnavong	....	camera trainee
Jordan Schella	....	gaffer: Louisbourg
Dean Skerrit	....	best boy grip: Louisbourg (as Dean Skerrett)
Craig Stewart	....	grip: Louisbourg
Alan Sweet	....	best boy electric: Louisbourg
Riley Turner	....	camera trainee: Louisbourg
Todd Voogt	....	grip: Louisbourg
Greg Whiteside	....	playback operator
George Willis	....	underwater camera operator
Richard D. Leko	....	best boy rigging grip (uncredited)
Richard D. Leko	....	daily key rigging grip (uncredited)
Robert C. Shannon	....	dive supervisor (uncredited)
Robert C. Shannon	....	underwater camera grip: second unit (uncredited)

Casting Department
Matthew Campbell	....	casting: Louisbourg, BG
Zameret Kleiman	....	background casting
Wendy Ross	....	casting consultant: Louisbourg, BG (as Wendy Cohen Ross)
Jane Spencer	....	extras casting assistant (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Ciara Brennan	....	costume truck coordinator
Isabel De Biasio	....	costume set supervisor (as Isabel Debiasio)
Roslyn Hanchard	....	assistant costume designer
Michele Harney	....	costume truck coordinator
Madeleine Stewart	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Darcy Arthurs	....	digital intermediate producer
Michael Dobroski	....	colorist: dailies (as Mike Dobroski)
Luis Freitas	....	first assistant editor
Joscelyn Goode	....	film timer
Rob Gyorgy	....	digital intermediate on-line editor (as Rev. Rob Gyorgy)
Graham Hoselton	....	front end supervisor
Mark Kueper	....	digital intermediate colorist
Margaret Mansell	....	digital film technician
Andrew Pascoe	....	digital film supervisor
Kurt Reid	....	dailies assistant

Music Department
Alexander Andresen	....	composer: additional music
Kevin Banks	....	music editor
Michael Banton-Jones	....	score mixer: Wanted Studios
Jody Colero	....	music supervisor
Jonathan Goldsmith	....	musician: guitars, keyboards, programming
Ben Grossman	....	musician: hurdy gurdy
Christine Leslie	....	music licensing: Silent Joe
Hugh Marsh	....	musician: violin, baritone violin
Rob Piltch	....	musician: nylon string guitar

Transportation Department
Patrick Batchelor	....	transportation co-captain
Fred Campbell	....	driver: Louisbourg
John Cocks	....	driver
Michell Desnoyers	....	transportation captain: Louisbourg (as Michelle MacEachern)
Norm Henderson	....	driver
Stuart Hughes	....	driver
Jason Leeking	....	transportation captain
Kent MacDonald	....	driver: Louisbourg
Paul MacEachern	....	transportation coordinator: Louisbourg
Shelley Mansell	....	driver
Hugh McCallum	....	driver
Joe Norris Sr.	....	driver
John Ozlins	....	transportation coordinator (as John Ozolins)
Gilbert Russell	....	driver: Louisbourg (as Gilbert Russel)
Bruce Stewart	....	head driver: Louisbourg
Maurice Tremblay	....	driver
Jeff Taylor	....	driver: honeywagon (uncredited)

Other crew
Kevin Alakas	....	first assistant accountant
Cynthia Amsden	....	unit publicist
Eric Armstrong	....	dialogue coach
Samantha Armstrong	....	script supervisor
Brian Backman	....	set production assistant: Louisbourg
Lisa Barry	....	caterer: Louisbourg, Action Catering
Shauna Barry	....	caterer: Louisbourg, Action Catering
Maev Beaty	....	background adr performer (as Maev Beatty)
Scott Beckman	....	location production assistant: Louisbourg
Colombe Demers	....	background adr performer
Tricia Echlin	....	office production assistant
Mike Follert	....	stand-in
Focused on Food	....	craft service
James Fraser	....	sales executive: Technicolor Toronto
Jonathan Gajewski	....	production assistant
Justin Gajewski	....	production assistant
Sharon Glicklich	....	set server
Patricia Hamilton	....	background adr performer
Barbara Hancock	....	craft service: Focused On Foods
Alan Hollett	....	craft service server: Louisbourg
Mike Horechuk	....	key location production assistant: Louisbourg
Matt Hunwicks	....	set production assistant
Tanja Jacobs	....	background adr performer
Paul Jennison	....	production accountant
Norma Jean Jones	....	background adr performer
Fred Kamping	....	location manager
Samantha Kates	....	set server
Mazi Khalighi	....	assistant to director
Alex Kontsalakis	....	payroll accountant
Robert Lamkin	....	chef training: Chef Robert Catering
Richard Lee	....	background adr performer
Stanley Lidon	....	assistant location manager
Jim Lovisek	....	animal wrangler
Cathy MacDougall	....	location production assistant: Louisbourg
Paul Mark	....	assistant production coordinator
Mark McFadden	....	assistant location manager
Julie McLeod	....	stand-in
Jay Melnychuk	....	stand-in
Jamie Minns	....	executive project coordinator
Mike Mullen	....	location production assistant
Tony Nappo	....	background adr performer
Andrea Nesbitt	....	production coordinator
Cailin O'Neil	....	production coordinator: Louisbourg
Thomas Pepper	....	office production assistant (as Tom Pepper)
Jordan Pettle	....	background adr performer
Rodger Pike	....	craft service server: Louisbourg
Cory Pioveson	....	set production assistant: Louisbourg
Diane Pitblado	....	dialogue coach
Gordon Pong	....	location production assistant (as Gord Pong)
Selwyn Richards	....	food stylist
Dug Rotstein	....	script supervisor
Colette Thomas	....	office production assistant: Louisbourg
Lucy Veale	....	executive project coordinator
Shaun Whitford	....	set production assistant: Louisbourg
Joe Iacono	....	financial consultant and auditor (uncredited)
Christopher Warre Smets	....	documentary producer (uncredited)

Thanks
Raoul Bhaneja	....	thanks
Atom Egoyan	....	thanks
Katie Holmes	....	thanks
Sarah Manninen	....	thanks
Don McKellar	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Joe's Daughter
• Astral Media (funding)
• Harold Greenberg Fund, The (funding)

Distributors

• Broadmedia Studios (2012) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Entertainment One Benelux (2012) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• KOOL Filmdistribution (2013) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Magnolia Pictures (2012) (USA) (theatrical)
• Pathé Films (2012) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Pinema (2012) (Turkey) (theatrical)
• Tour de Force (2012) (Norway) (theatrical)
• Alta Classics (2011) (Spain) (all media)
• Entertainment One Benelux (2012) (Netherlands) (DVD) (rental)
• Entertainment One Benelux (2013) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Entertainment One Benelux (2013) (Netherlands) (DVD) (retail)
• Falcon Films (2012) (Lebanon) (all media) (Middle East)
• HDNet Movies (2012) (USA) (TV)
• Hopscotch Films (2012) (Australia) (all media)
• Mars Entertainment Group (2012) (Turkey) (all media)
• Mongrel Media (2012) (Canada) (DVD)
• Mongrel Media (2012) (Canada) (all media)
• Métropole Films Distribution (2012) (Canada) (all media) (Quebec)
• Rosebud (2012) (Greece) (all media)
• Solopan (2012) (Poland) (all media)
• StudioCanal (2012) (UK) (all media)
• UGC Distribution (2012) (France) (all media)
• Zon Audiovisuais (2013) (Portugal) (all media)

Special Effects

• Rocket Science VFX (visual effects)

Other Companies

• Action Catering  catering: Louisbourg
• Antenna Design & Film  title design
• Chef Robért Catering  chef training (as Chef Robert Catering)
• Chubb Insurance Company of Canada  production insurance (as Chubb Insurance Company)
• Dolby Laboratories  sound mix
• Dwight Crane Rentals  cranes and lifts (as Dwight Crane)
• Eastern Script Service Inc.  script and title research services (as Eastern Script Inc.)
• En Route Catering  catering
• Film Finances Canada  completion bond
• Focused On Food Craft Service  craft service (as Focused On Foods)
• Ginger Island Catering  catering
• MovieScore Media  soundtrack
• Multimedia Risk Consultants and Insurance Brokers  insurance broker (as Multimedia Risk)
• Panavision (Canada) Corporation  camera equipment (as Panavision Canada)
• Panavision-Genesis  digital cinematography
• Pinewood Shepperton  sound stages
• Pinewood Toronto Studios  production facilities
• R.J. Grips  grip services
• Royal Bank of Canada  production bank
• Silent Joe  music licensing
• Stohn Hay Cafazzo Dembroski Richmond  legal services
• Tattersall Sound  sound editing and mixing services (as Tattersall Sound & Picture)
• Technicolor Toronto  digital intermediate
• Telefilm  funding
• Theatre D Digital  AVID picture editing facilities
• Wanted Studios  score mixing facility
• Weisbord Del Gaudio Iacono  production auditor
• William F. White International  grip and lighting equipment

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for language, some strong sexual content and graphic nudity

Runtime:

116 min | Canada:91 min (censored version)

Country:

Canada | Spain | Japan

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | Dolby Digital EX (US version) | Dolby Stereo (DVD version)

Certification:

USA:R | Canada:14A (British Columbia) | Canada:18A (Alberta/Manitoba/Ontario) | Australia:MA15+ | Turkey:15+ | Ireland:16 | Canada:13+ (Québec) | Japan:R15+ | UK:15 | South Korea:18 | Mexico:B15 | Netherlands:12 | Portugal:M/16

Filming Locations:

Louisbourg, Nova Scotia, Canada

Company:

Joe's Daughter

Trivia:

In 2009, the script was listed in The Black List. The Black List is an annual publication that names the best unproduced screenplays of the year it is published.

Quotes:

Geraldine:Life has a gap in it... It just does. You don't go crazy trying to fill it.

Movie Connections:

References Mon oncle Antoine (1971)

Soundtrack:

Stand Tall

You might not agree with what it has to say, but Polley has made a bold and impressive film

Common terms associated with movies about infidelity would be "lust," "passion" and "betrayal," yet all those things are suspiciously absent from Sarah Polley's infidelity drama, "Take This Waltz." Her film is about as anti-soap opera as you can get — careful to avoid melodrama and dedicated to sidestepping any and all conventional depictions of adult relationships in film.

It seems odd to call Polley bold for showing it like it is, the way that she drags us through the head of her main character, Margot (Michelle Williams), who so undeniably loves her husband, Lou (Seth Rogen), yet cannot deny her feelings for Daniel (Luke Kirby), a man she meets while away for work who turns out to be her neighbor. However, when it comes to filmmaking, anything that deviates from Hollywood reality can make an audience uncomfortable, so it takes some guts to ignore that filmmaking impulse.

Consequently, a good chunk of viewers will be turned off or frustrated by "Take This Waltz," losing patience with the inaction of its characters and pulling their hair out over the tension oozing out of the most casual character interactions. Yes, "Take This Waltz" can be so uneventful that it verges on pointless, but in time Polley's intentions become very clear.

As Margot and Daniel get closer, they don't really get closer, and as Margot and Lou drift apart, they actually come off as in love as they've ever been. For much of the film, it's in Margot's head that the cheating is actually happening. Her thoughts and actions are not in sync and it becomes extremely difficult for us to find empathy for her because we feel as though she needs to act on her feelings, to either voice her displeasure to Lou or throw herself at Daniel. That's the Hollywood impulse calling.

Polley continues to resist, and as challenging as it becomes to watch at times, her film comes out better for sticking to its convictions. As she clearly intended, a switch flips in a scene in which Margot and Daniel ride an indoor Scrambler as "Video Killed the Radio Star" plays, an in the loopy chaos of the scene, we (and Margot) find a certain clarity in understanding what's going on between the main characters.

There's a definite phantasmagoria to Polley's style as well that while visually engaging contrasts a bit with what's otherwise such a nuanced, completely believable film. Several scenes play out like dream sequences, but we later can confirm they actually happened. She seems quite content to toy with our expectations and challenge what we think we know to be true about how love works.

You couldn't cast a better actress than Williams with a performance that's so hard to pull off. We only identify with Margot because we see her humanity, but it's tough to understand her and in some cases even like as a third-party observer of her story. Williams should be lauded for volunteering for this experiment and selling it as well as she does, especially when you consider that Kirby is a total unknown and Rogen is a poster child for modern comedy, for formulaic comedies that are such a far cry from "Take This Waltz."

The end of the movie is bound to bother a lot of people, while others will be intrigued at the choice and make peace with what Polley has to say because she frankly makes a good argument. Fidelity gets such a black-and-white portrayal in film and television, though maybe that's a societal thing because of its prominence in religious code. Nevertheless, she utilizes every tool at her disposal to present the gray area that we so quickly jump to deny and shudder to embrace.

It's tough to really enjoy a film that doesn't emotionally click, in which we don't feel with our hearts that things should've turned out how they did, but Polley has such a beautiful directorial style and conveys her intentions so clearly that "Take This Waltz" warrants a certain degree of respect for its bold yet so honest and impressively perceptive take on love.

~Steven C

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