AWAY FROM HER (2007) **** Julie Christie, Gordon Pinsent, Olympia Dukakis, Michael Murphy, Kristen Thomson, Wendy Crewson, Alberta Watson, Katie Boland. (Dir: Sarah Polley)
Christie and Pinsent give Oscar worthy performances in a sterling drama ; a remarkable film-making debut by Polley.
Actress Sarah Polley makes an audacious and remarkable film-making debut in her adaptation of Alice Munro's short story "The Bar Came Over the Mountain" with its storyline about an aging married couple's plight when Alzheimer's strikes the wife, Fiona (the gorgeous Christie giving a dynamic performance), who decides in its earliest stages to have herself placed into a health care institutional home to care for her while her loving husband Grant (veteran actor Pinsent, equally compellingly good) is hesitant; the couple have never been apart in 43 years and the trial period of 30 days for Fiona to get acclimated to her new environs, proves taxing particularly for Grant.
The couple have been very active over the years and Fiona is considered a real 'lady' who knows quite a bit in relation to culture, the finer things and her husband's philandering past.
Grant fears she may be using her dementia as a crutch to punish him for his improprieties and also fears he may be losing her altogether: their marriage a shadowy afterthought in the cobwebs of her dimming memory.
To add insult to injury when Grant finally arrives after his month's probationary period to visit, he finds Fiona has begun to slip further away and has struck a new friendship with another patient, the mute Aubrey (veteran character actor Murphy who communicates amazingly with subtle eye and facial movements to convey his sadness) who she claims to have known in the past. His wife Marian (the incomparable Dukakis) tries to do the best she can with her spouse but accepts the limitations involved and strikes up a friendship with Grant as well.
Polley, an accomplished young Canadian actress best known for her indie work such as "THE SWEET HEREAFTER" and the remake of "DAWN OF THE DEAD", makes a stunningly astute and heartfelt directorial debut (she also wrote the screenplay adaptation) with remarkable élan, grace and class. Reportedly the short story which appeared in THE NEW YORKER affected her so deeply - (her late grandmother was in a retirement community and her grandfather had a similar condition known as Picks' disease)- she sought out Christie, who she previously co-starred with her in Hal Hartley's "NO SUCH THING" (this marks her third collaboration with the iconic actress), who at first was very hesitant but, wisely , acquiesced, with her excellently executed turn as Fiona, a woman who clearly has a lot to live for and fight for and makes it all the worth while with her sharp chemistry with Pinsent (who I must admit never heard of before but is also an actor of reckoning), whose quiet, introspective yet deeply felt performance and his rich baritone nicely compliment his co-star making you believe they indeed have been a couple for many years.
While the film is powerfully acted and directed it is surprisingly not a melancholic syrupy hazy account nor is it a sugar-coated valentine to love's healing powers. It is a frank, adult and very human depiction of one couple's attempt to grow in a seemingly unfortunate fate yet with humor, intelligence and truly mature viewpoint. One of the year's best films and one that should not be overlooked for next year's Oscars for all its major categories.
Christie and Pinsent give Oscar worthy performances in a sterling drama ; a remarkable film-making debut by Polley.
Actress Sarah Polley makes an audacious and remarkable film-making debut in her adaptation of Alice Munro's short story "The Bar Came Over the Mountain" with its storyline about an aging married couple's plight when Alzheimer's strikes the wife, Fiona (the gorgeous Christie giving a dynamic performance), who decides in its earliest stages to have herself placed into a health care institutional home to care for her while her loving husband Grant (veteran actor Pinsent, equally compellingly good) is hesitant; the couple have never been apart in 43 years and the trial period of 30 days for Fiona to get acclimated to her new environs, proves taxing particularly for Grant.
The couple have been very active over the years and Fiona is considered a real 'lady' who knows quite a bit in relation to culture, the finer things and her husband's philandering past.
Grant fears she may be using her dementia as a crutch to punish him for his improprieties and also fears he may be losing her altogether: their marriage a shadowy afterthought in the cobwebs of her dimming memory.
To add insult to injury when Grant finally arrives after his month's probationary period to visit, he finds Fiona has begun to slip further away and has struck a new friendship with another patient, the mute Aubrey (veteran character actor Murphy who communicates amazingly with subtle eye and facial movements to convey his sadness) who she claims to have known in the past. His wife Marian (the incomparable Dukakis) tries to do the best she can with her spouse but accepts the limitations involved and strikes up a friendship with Grant as well.
Polley, an accomplished young Canadian actress best known for her indie work such as "THE SWEET HEREAFTER" and the remake of "DAWN OF THE DEAD", makes a stunningly astute and heartfelt directorial debut (she also wrote the screenplay adaptation) with remarkable élan, grace and class. Reportedly the short story which appeared in THE NEW YORKER affected her so deeply - (her late grandmother was in a retirement community and her grandfather had a similar condition known as Picks' disease)- she sought out Christie, who she previously co-starred with her in Hal Hartley's "NO SUCH THING" (this marks her third collaboration with the iconic actress), who at first was very hesitant but, wisely , acquiesced, with her excellently executed turn as Fiona, a woman who clearly has a lot to live for and fight for and makes it all the worth while with her sharp chemistry with Pinsent (who I must admit never heard of before but is also an actor of reckoning), whose quiet, introspective yet deeply felt performance and his rich baritone nicely compliment his co-star making you believe they indeed have been a couple for many years.
While the film is powerfully acted and directed it is surprisingly not a melancholic syrupy hazy account nor is it a sugar-coated valentine to love's healing powers. It is a frank, adult and very human depiction of one couple's attempt to grow in a seemingly unfortunate fate yet with humor, intelligence and truly mature viewpoint. One of the year's best films and one that should not be overlooked for next year's Oscars for all its major categories.