It’s easy to make a film about adultery in which there is an obvious ‘bad guy’; whether the husband is a nasty piece of work or the new man is a manipulative trickster, we are usually sure of what we are rooting for. Here in Sarah Polley’s second offering, we are not allowed that luxury. Take This Waltz presents relationships as they are in reality; complex, confusing and unpredictable. It’s a completely non-judgemental look at how love can simply change, and how even a seemingly perfect life can still leave you feeling empty.
In Take this Waltz, sparks fly as Margot (Michelle Williams, My Week with Marilyn) and Daniel (Luke Kirby, Shattered Glass) cross paths in a chance encounter and make an immediate connection. The very timid and private Margot finds herself opening up despite herself, confident that she will never have to see him again; but to her dismay they discover they are neighbours. Though Margot is happily married she can’t help but be drawn to this enigmatic stranger and his advances, and as she explores this connection she struggles to stay committed to a life she finds unsatisfying, despite still very much loving her husband Lou (Seth Rogen, 50/50) and his family, who are dealing with the alcoholism of his sister Geraldine (Sarah Silverman, School of Rock).
Polley is an exciting director; her previous film Away from Her achieved much critical acclaim, and here she does not disappoint; she makes interesting use of settings, with the new romance evolving through the characters actions in exciting settings (whether swimming at night or enjoying an exhilarating fairground ride), and the staleness of the husband and wife’s relationship echoing through the fact their interactions all take place in the same few rooms. Some of the settings lead to beautiful shots, and everything from the arrangement of shots, to the performances Polley extracts proves her talent, and though she does use some obvious tricks (i.e. blurring the camera to indicate characters distress), she delivers a film with enough originality to truly sink your teeth into.
Michelle Williams gives a memorable performance as the lost lamb Margot; bringing her usual damsel in distress charm to the table in a more exciting way than usual, as despite the script being fantastic it’s through subtle expressions of emotion, in dialogue-free moments, that you really connect with the character; and while there’s little in the way of supporting cast beyond Sarah Silverman’s recovering alcoholic (who provides an interesting perspective on the different things people do when they’re unsatisfied with life), both Seth Rogen and Luke Kirby both deliver solid performances as the very different men in Margot’s life (ensuring the chemistry is just-right in both situations); Lou and Margot’s scenes range from comfortable and cute, to distant and strained, while scenes with Daniel are much more lingering and intense, but both are equally interesting to watch.
It’s always refreshing to see Rogen in less stereotypical comedy roles, but Take This Waltz does make good use of humour; without including obvious jokes or one-liners, it produces a few hearty chuckles that keep the film from becoming too melancholy; with much of the lightness coming from the sheer familiarity of much of the film to anyone who has ever been in a long term relationship, or been romanced by a charmer, giving you the chance to laugh and smile along with it in ways that say ‘Yeah, I’ve been there.’
The film is also complimented by some great soundtrack choices (in particular the repeated use of Video Killed the Radio Star), but there are some aspects of the film that failed; for one thing, there was an unnecessary overuse of nudity without much purpose, including an explicit montage towards the end of the film that doesn’t seem in keeping with the rest of its tone, and the ending of the film is perhaps the most disappointing of all; as it simply meanders on like an epilogue you could have done without.
Despite that there was a distinct point being made in Take This Waltz which came through loud and clear, was consistent throughout the script, and made for a very honest and natural film overall; with both a realistic love, and an out-of-this-world romance, coming across as equally appealing at times. It’s a touching and heartfelt tale that neither panders to the audience with a black-and-white ending, nor brings them down by taking itself too seriously.
