Sarah Polley’s follow-up drama to Away From Here is really, really good. It is kind of similar in its inevitable, conflicted melancholy tone, but that is perhaps even more jarring due to the young age of the characters. It is also likely the most Toronto-heavy film since Bruce McDonald’s Picture Claire (or perhaps Atom Egoyan’s Chloe) but don’t hold that as a value judgement or comparison! The prop-details right down to the brands of micro-brew and eccentric Toronto neighborhoods, including nostalgia stops and touristy attractions reveal that Take this Waltz making a bid for some seriously textured Canadiana. Consider it all easter eggs for the locals, the movie has crumbling relationships and existential crises of happiness on the brain and certainly at the forefront.
The Leonard Cohen song is covered by Feist, and really, that should blow your mind in some small way (albeit it’s not used in the trailer below.) It’s equal parts Blue Valentine and Closer, and if you are in any way familiar with the tastes of Mike Rot, you will in no way be surprised that it was his favourite TIFF film entry from last year. He politely dragged me to see the film when it played at Canada’s Top 10 2011 retrospective and yea, I’m pretty comfortable saying that is indeed really good (lagging only slightly behind Cafe De Flore and Monsieur Lazhar – a strong year for Canadian Cinema). It’s finally getting a cinema release, and that means we are blessed with this fairly linear and standard bit of advertising below.
Take This Waltz will first come to VOD on May 25th and then get a theatrical release on June 29th.
When Margot (Michelle Williams), 28, meets Daniell (Luke Kirby), their chemistry is intense and immediate. But Margot suppresses her sudden attraction; she is happily married to Lou (Seth Rogan), a cookbook writer. When Margot learns that Daniel lives across the street from them, the certainty about her domestic life shatters. She and Daniel steal moments throughout the steaming Toronto summer, their eroticism heightened by their restraint.
I like just about everyone involved in this, and Blue Valentine all but destroyed me, but this looks indie shcmindie bleh.
As someone who saw the movie, I say give it a chance.
Sean is right. TAKE THIS WALTZ is really, really good.
The moment in this trailer where she says “Tell me what you’d do to me” is both sexy and sad at the same time. If anyone can pull that sentiment off, it’s Williams. Plus I have a feeling that Polley put a personal stamp onto the material, having gone through a divorce prior to writing this I believe.
I wouldn’t write this off at all based on the trailer, however for me, the trailer pretty much confirmed my excitement for it. It helps that Williams has gone on to become my favorite actress since Winslet.
This movie is completely reliant on what the viewer brings to the table with their own life experience. It’s extremely intimate and personal. I don’t think I could debate this film, it would only result in a lot of oversharing.
Yes, it’s like Blue Valentine, but less binary, more nuanced. I think it’s a beautiful and essential film, but perhaps only for those willing or able to project thier life story onto these characters. There were key cutting lines that pushed people to get up and leave, and it was obvious that it was an emotional reaction rather than apathy.
There’s stuff I could pick on in the film, some obvious analogies or a character spelling out themes a little bluntly, but its such a minor deal for me compared to the high value I put on the film as an experience.
Jim’s letterboxd review, by the way, is fantastic.
the other film it oddly reminded me of… is The Tree of Life. I didnt care for Tree of Life, but I think the experience of Take This Waltz gives me some added perspective about what people get out of Tree of Life.
I couldn’t argue with anyone who said this was utterly brilliant, and I couldn’t argue with anyone who said that this was utter independent BS. It vacillated wildly between these two extremes for me constantly, even within the same scene.
On the whole, I liked the film a lot though.