45 Years (2015)

A married couple preparing to celebrate their wedding anniversary receives shattering news that promises to forever change the course of their lives.

Director:

Andrew Haigh

Writers:

Andrew Haigh, David Constantine (short story "In Another Country")

Stars:

Charlotte Rampling, Tom Courtenay, Geraldine James

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 21 wins & 55 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Charlotte Rampling	...	Kate Mercer
Tom Courtenay	...	Geoff Mercer
Geraldine James	...	Lena
Dolly Wells	...	Sally
David Sibley	...	George
Sam Alexander	...	Chris The Postman
Richard Cunningham	...	Mr Watkins
Hannah Chalmers	...	Travel Agent
Camille Ucan	...	Café Waitress
Rufus Wright	...	Jake

Storyline

Kate (Charlotte Rampling) and Geoff Mercer (Sir Tom Courtenay) are planning to celebrate their 45th wedding anniversary with dozens of friends. The event is to take place soon in the community hall of Norwich, the town near which they live. A week before the party, Geoff receives a letter which, although he tries to hide it, obviously troubles him. When his wife asks him what is going on, Geoff tells her that the body of Katya, his first great love who disappeared fifty years before in the Alps, has just been found in a melting glacier. From then on, Geoff starts behaving more and more strangely and for the first time after so many years Kate asks herself who the man she married so long ago really is.

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Plot Keywords:

anniversary | death of girlfriend | dancing | memory | speech | 

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Taglines:

Do we really know our loved ones?

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and brief sexuality

Did You Know?

Trivia

Kate's proposed party playlist is "Happy Together" by The Turtles, "For What It's Worth" by Buffalo Springfield, "Your Precious Love" by Marvin Gaye, "Higher and Higher" by Jackie Wilson, and the Platters' cover of "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes". The first four were all released in 1967, suggesting this as the year of their wedding, whereas the last is from 1958, putting it in Katya's time with Geoff. However, Kate states at the beginning that this had been the song for their first dance together as husband and wife.

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Goofs

Geoff's friend says he's learning the ukulele (which is a small guitar) with the website Justin Guitar, as it's a good instrument for playing any music - not just George Formby. Although it was often said that Formby played the ukulele, his instrument was in fact a banjolele (a small banjo body with a fretted ukulele neck).

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Quotes

Kate Mercer: You used to love your birdwatching.
Geoff Mercer: I did, yes.
Kate Mercer: It's funny how you forget the things in life that make you happy.

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Crazy Credits

The opening credits play like a slide show. Every time before a new name appears on the screen, there is the unmistakable click of a slide projector.

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Connections

Featured in The Oscars (2016)

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Soundtracks

Comment Disaient-ils
Written by Franz Liszt
Performed by Emma Morwood and Jonathan Fisher

User Reviews

It feels slow, but '45 Years' is rich in depth of storytelling and acting

The life of an old married couple doesn't exactly sound like riveting cinematic fodder, especially for moviegoers below the age of 65, but "45 Years" captures the mechanics of relationships, mechanics that are universal and span multiple generations.

The greatest indicator that "45 Years" isn't some niche geriatric film is director Andrew Haigh, a much younger director who is best known for making LGBTQ films, namely 2011's "Weekend." So, as someone who isn't a heterosexual senior, Haigh brings a different perspective to this story, along with a lot of grace and brilliant directorial instincts.

"45 Years" introduces us to Kate (Charlotte Rampling) and Geoff (Tom Courtenay) Mercer one week before their big 45th anniversary party. Although the week begins routine as usual, they receive quite a shock when Geoff gets a letter informing him that the body of a woman whom he loved as a younger man (before he met Kate) who died in an accident had been found (somewhat preserved in ice). The news absolutely rattles Geoff into a rather nostalgic daze, while Kate tries to come to terms with the weight of something she had shrugged off for nearly half a century.

We watch the story unfold from Kate's perspective, which keeps Geoff's thoughts and emotions an enigma and allows us to firmly plant ourselves in Kate's shoes. We also get glimpses of their relationship dynamic, which is powerfully authentic and relatable, adding another layer to what seems like it should be a rather simple conflict to resolve, but grows in chilling complexity.

Haigh's camera is quiet, careful and poised. There are wide shots and close-ups alike, along with methodical zooms, giving the actors — especially Rampling — incredible space to work. The result is a slow and yes, perhaps boring film at times, but if you really focus on the performances, the pacing becomes strangely irrelevant. We are given so much time to dive into Kate's headspace and Rampling provides these incredible cues once we're there.

The best way to describe the flow of "45 Years" is to liken it to a thawing. From the outdoor scenery around their quaint home in the British countryside to the details of Geoff's love "Katya" (notice the name similarity to his current wife) being found in ice, there's a notion that what was frozen in the past has now finally melted, that spring is coming and with it so much more. Kate and Geoff's relationship is at this melting point, and how they handle it will mean everything.

For such a simple film, there's something deeply unsettling about "45 Years" and that achievement alone suggests Haigh has struck some deep chords in this exploration of a relationship. We look to couples who have been married this long for inspiration and comfort, yet Haigh doesn't give it to us, and it raises a lot of really valuable questions. So it might not be easy to enjoy, but "45 Years" is truly a superb film and important character study.

~Steven C

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Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 August 2015 (UK)

Also Known As:

45 Years

Filming Locations:

Norfolk Broads, Norfolk, England, UK

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$65,775, 27 December 2015

Gross USA:

$4,247,285

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$14,430,249

Company Credits

Production Co:

BFI Film Fund, British Film Institute (BFI), Creative England

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1