Take This Waltz

"Excellent"

Take This Waltz Review


After the remarkable Away From Her, actress-turned-filmmaker Polley is back with another bracingly observant drama, this time exploring the point where relationships cease to be something new. The film is a bit indulgent and downbeat, but it speaks so eloquently that we can't help but be moved.

In Toronto, Margot (Williams) is happily married to Lou (Rogen), but she feels that their relationship is only expressed through humour and that work interests divide them. So it's not surprising that, after a chance encounter with neighbour Daniel (Kirby), Margot starts to consider straying from her marriage. She holds Daniel at arm's length, but is intrigued by everything that's new about him, including his more adult way of talking about sex and relationships. Is taking this leap scarier than waiting around for her marriage to come back to life?

The title comes from the Leonard Cohen song, which plays a key role in a climactic sequence. Indeed, Margot's relationships with both Lou and Daniel are a series of dance steps, although the film is rather a lot more complicated.

Told finely from Margot's perspective, the story is an involving exploration of a flawed, human response to real feelings. We breath a sigh of relief every time Margot makes the correct decision, even as what's right or wrong shifts continually.

Williams gives another astoundingly transparent performance as Margot, letting us into her soul to experience her joy and doubt, the thrill of attraction and the warmth of real love. Opposite her, Rogen seems almost like a cypher, which of course is how Margot has begun to see him, while Kirby exudes mystery and sexuality. And Silverman is terrific in a rare dramatic role as Lou's sister, who distills the film's themes in two key scenes.

Because of its intense intimacy, the film is sometimes overpoweringly emotional. It also drags as Margot waffles about what she's going to do. But this allows Polley to delve deeper into the issues and feelings, most remarkably in two wonderfully swirling scenes: on a funfair ride and in a loft flat. The story's coda is perhaps unnecessary, as the emotional punch has already landed, but the film taps into something that resonates powerfully enough to makes us see our relationships differently.



Take This Waltz

Facts and Figures

Run time: 116 mins

In Theaters: Friday 6th July 2012

Box Office USA: $1.2M

Distributed by: Magnolia Pictures

Production compaines: Joe's Daughter

Reviews

Contactmusic.com: 4 / 5

Rotten Tomatoes: 77%
Fresh: 102 Rotten: 30

IMDB: 6.6 / 10

Cast & Crew

Director:

Starring: as Margot, as Lou Rubin, as Daniel, as Geraldine, as Aaron Rubin, as Karen, Graham Abbey as James, Vanessa Coelho as Tony

Also starring: ,

Contactmusic


Links


New Movies

Star Wars: The Last Jedi Movie Review

Star Wars: The Last Jedi Movie Review

After the thunderous reception for J.J. Abrams' Episode VII: The Force Awakens two years ago,...

Daddy's Home 2 Movie Review

Daddy's Home 2 Movie Review

Like the 2015 original, this comedy plays merrily with cliches to tell a silly story...

The Man Who Invented Christmas Movie Review

The Man Who Invented Christmas Movie Review

There's a somewhat contrived jauntiness to this blending of fact and fiction that may leave...

Ferdinand Movie Review

Ferdinand Movie Review

This animated comedy adventure is based on the beloved children's book, which was published in...

Brigsby Bear Movie Review

Brigsby Bear Movie Review

Director Dave McCary makes a superb feature debut with this offbeat black comedy, which explores...

Battle of the Sexes Movie Review

Battle of the Sexes Movie Review

A dramatisation of the real-life clash between tennis icons Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs,...

Shot Caller Movie Review

Shot Caller Movie Review

There isn't much subtlety to this prison thriller, but it's edgy enough to hold the...

Advertisement
The Disaster Artist Movie Review

The Disaster Artist Movie Review

A hilariously outrageous story based on real events, this film recounts the making of the...

Stronger Movie Review

Stronger Movie Review

Based on a true story about the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, this looks like one...

Only the Brave Movie Review

Only the Brave Movie Review

Based on a genuinely moving true story, this film undercuts the realism by pushing its...

Wonder Movie Review

Wonder Movie Review

This film may be based on RJ Palacio's fictional bestseller, but it approaches its story...

Happy End  Movie Review

Happy End Movie Review

Austrian auteur Michael Haneke isn't known for his light touch, but rather for hard-hitting, award-winning...

Patti Cake$ Movie Review

Patti Cake$ Movie Review

Seemingly from out of nowhere, this film generates perhaps the biggest smile of any movie...

The Limehouse Golem Movie Review

The Limehouse Golem Movie Review

A Victorian thriller with rather heavy echoes of Jack the Ripper, this film struggles to...

Advertisement
Artists
Actors
    Filmmakers
      Artists
      Bands
        Musicians
          Artists
          Celebrities
             
              Artists
              Interviews