A happily married woman falls for the artist who lives across the street.
Some strained metaphors and character tics aside, this proves both Polley’s perceptive eye and Williams’ ability to explore life-scuffed emotions. Wry, risqué and real.
There are some impressive individual sequences here, notably an erotic monologue (in which the two characters remain fully clothed), and Williams is typically compelling.
Take This Waltz has the sting of real life about it, and thinking about it afterwards feels like thinking about people you know. Weeks after seeing this film, it still haunts me.
Sarah Polley’s second film is a masterfully painted portrait of an ordinary marriage under threat, dominated by a central performance of exquisite subtlety and observation.
Lots of lovely moments and it looks fabulous but, despite its desire to be deep and meaningful, it's all rather Madame Bovary-lite for the Gap set.
In theory, these are twentysomethings we're talking about. But they walk and talk like fortysomethings or fiftysomethings, such is their dullness and self-absorption.
Take This Waltz has its moments, and a lot else you could call self-absorbed tripe.
Beautifully photographed, maudlin and moving, bruising and bittersweet, Take This Waltz is a heartrending emotional roller coaster.
Take This Waltz is so truthful and honest a film that on the rare occasions it hits a false note or becomes over-explicit or sentimental, it really jars.
Take This Waltz is, I'll admit, fundamentally not my kind of film, but I suspect it'll be many people's kind of film, in a big way – and I can't help admiring it.
Sarah Polley: 'We're all kind of ugly in our relationships'
Take This Waltz unites Sarah Polley and Michelle Williams--and it works
Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow from Monday September 17, 2012, until Wednesday September 19, 2012. More info: http://www.glasgowfilm.org/theatre/
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