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 & 58 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

The movie was shot in chronological order.

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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

Referenced in Moby Dick Ala De Laurentiis: Martha De Laurentiis Remembers 'Orca' (2017)

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Soundtracks

Prelude No 1 in C major, BWV 846
(uncredited)
Written by Johann Sebastian Bach
Performed by Charlotte Rampling
[Played by Kate on the piano]

User Reviews

Beautifully restrained, ultimately heartbreaking

"45 Years" is a great demonstration on how to evoke so many layers of emotion and inner turmoil with a fairly simple filmmaking approach. These types of stories have been told lots of times and probably a bit better (Mike Leigh promptly comes to mind). But what director Andrew Haigh does here which provides the film it's gut wrenching sensation is that he writes these characters with so much depth and naturalism that the events that slowly unravel begin to make the film more and more despondent as it goes on.

Here we have a happily married couple getting ready to celebrate a milestone 45 year anniversary, only for an untimely piece of news regarding Geoff's (Tom Courtenay) past flame whom has passed away, which puts a spanner in the works. Being such a long time ago it would be feasible to think that this won't affect their current relationship, but suddenly all these memories come storming back and he suddenly gets caught in a sort of time warp. He brings her up at every opportunity, he can't stop talking about her. And this is where the film skillfully shifts it's focus onto Kate's (Charlotte Rampling) character. What she once thought was a perfect marriage filled with unbridled endearment immediately turns into a self-doubting thought process. Does he really love me? Am I his one and only?

Rampling is just extraordinary. Subtle in her expressions and exterior but inside the hurt is palpable. No showy antics, no histrionics - simply a masterclass in masking her grief. Haigh uses the bleak Norfolk countryside to great effect, placing her in the center of surroundings that perfectly illustrate what she's feeling -- forlornness and heartache. Courtenay is excellent as well, though not quite as affecting. But what he does brilliantly is convey the actions of an individual that can't quite come to terms with this news and it sets off a chain reaction of resorting to bad old habits and outlandish behavior.

The final scene however couldn't have been crafted any better if they tried. Whilst directed with so much grace and acted wonderfully by Courtenay with his anniversary speech, it was Rampling who elevated it to devastating effect . The words may have been music to the ears for many, but for her it was just so bittersweet because she didn't feel that same affection. She displays a multitude of emotions throughout; smiling, laughing, sorrow, melancholy. Her mind is constantly in a state of befuddlement. What should be one of the greatest nights of her life is far from it. And then the dance, which honestly made me tear up. Not only for Ramplings acting and heartbreaking final shot, but the lyrics to the song pretty much summed up everything that was destroying her;

"When that lovely flame dies Smoke gets in your eyes"

Their marriage may live on, but it will now always be shrouded with her belief that her husband doesn't hold the same love for her that he once had, and this woman from days gone by will always be present for the rest of their lives.

"45 Years" is a slow burning, intricately designed exploration of the underlying grief us humans undergo when in tough times. It's both beautiful and harrowing, aided by incredible performances.

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