The knock against Canadian film for the most part is that we tend to focus on heritage, as if wevery film out of our country also has to act as a tourist magnet. This probably has something to do with the fact that Canadian film funding demands so much of its projects that scripts are changed to reflect this all over the place and while Away From Her didn't shy away from heritage it was so much more than that.
Where a film like "The Notebook" succeeds is in its ability to make us fall in love with the romance on screen, so that when that romance is shattered, especially by something out of its control, we are devestated, we feel their ache as we feel a loss ourselves. Where a film like that does not succeed is in it's lasting and resonating impact. We all have a good cry, maybe it stays with us for a day, and then we are able to move on, because it is easy to distance outselves from a Hollywood romance, regardless of how well it was made.
In "Away From Her", we get a similar story, but in favour of Hollywood (which I do NOT mean as a knock against the aforementioned film) we get honesty. There we times in this film where I almost felt like I was watching a documentary or I was someone connected to the film on a much more personal level than simply a viewer. Nothing was glossy (though, the underrated cinematography in this film is something to behold), nothing drew too much attention to itself, it just walked us through the pain of loss, grief, confusion and the human ways we try to repair the damage, not because it's simply easier, but we have to, for personal survival.
Though I thought Julie Christie turned in an excellent performance, the real credit of the film (outside of directo Sarah Polley, who though I know it won't happen, should get careful consideration for an Academy Award nomination) lies in the performance of Gordon Pinsett. Christie's was a great performance, Pinsett's broke the barriers. I know that man. I see him every day. I felt for him. Another performance you hear nothing about from this film comes in the form of Kristen Thompson and Kristy. Again, I felt like I knew her, I felt her honesty - that's what seperates those two from Christie, while she did an incredible job convincing me of who she was, the other two didn't have to convince me at all.
This was a movie that will sit on myself and become a treasure in my collection, something I will pick up when I need some perspective.
Beautiful work Ms. Polley.
5 stars out of 5
Where a film like "The Notebook" succeeds is in its ability to make us fall in love with the romance on screen, so that when that romance is shattered, especially by something out of its control, we are devestated, we feel their ache as we feel a loss ourselves. Where a film like that does not succeed is in it's lasting and resonating impact. We all have a good cry, maybe it stays with us for a day, and then we are able to move on, because it is easy to distance outselves from a Hollywood romance, regardless of how well it was made.
In "Away From Her", we get a similar story, but in favour of Hollywood (which I do NOT mean as a knock against the aforementioned film) we get honesty. There we times in this film where I almost felt like I was watching a documentary or I was someone connected to the film on a much more personal level than simply a viewer. Nothing was glossy (though, the underrated cinematography in this film is something to behold), nothing drew too much attention to itself, it just walked us through the pain of loss, grief, confusion and the human ways we try to repair the damage, not because it's simply easier, but we have to, for personal survival.
Though I thought Julie Christie turned in an excellent performance, the real credit of the film (outside of directo Sarah Polley, who though I know it won't happen, should get careful consideration for an Academy Award nomination) lies in the performance of Gordon Pinsett. Christie's was a great performance, Pinsett's broke the barriers. I know that man. I see him every day. I felt for him. Another performance you hear nothing about from this film comes in the form of Kristen Thompson and Kristy. Again, I felt like I knew her, I felt her honesty - that's what seperates those two from Christie, while she did an incredible job convincing me of who she was, the other two didn't have to convince me at all.
This was a movie that will sit on myself and become a treasure in my collection, something I will pick up when I need some perspective.
Beautiful work Ms. Polley.
5 stars out of 5
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