Recent Reviews for Away from Her
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MCT:November 8, 2008This could have been a boring film, a movie just for old people,but its none of that. Its sad and heartbreaking,because this is the real problems in all relationships. Whose fault is it when things dont go always right? Can we really be judged by the actions we commit,or do we have a right to do them? This film explores these topics, all regarding Love. I felt sorry and admired Grant, because this kind of thing really happens...nice film.
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MCT:October 27, 2008Quite sad to watch. But I guess no one would ever want to actively forget the sweet memories they had.
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MCT:October 10, 2008
This movie is sweet... so I gave it four stars, when it really is a three and a half star movie. Something felt lacking, I don't know what; but the story was so bittersweet and wonderful I didn't care. Julie Christie gives a great performance that was Golden Globe winner worthy and Oscar nominated worthy- Marion Cottillard was the clear winner now! Godon Pinsent and the supporting cast were perfect and the music was a match! Polley proves that not only is she a good actor but a good writer and director. And I need to mention how great it is that a movie that was so Canadian, did so well at the Oscars, had bigger named stars and didn't have that overwhelming "Canadian" feel! Good for it!
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MCT:October 9, 2008
Very touching, incredibly delicate and beautiful. Sarah Polley has a great future as a director if she chooses to pursue it, she's very gifted.
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MCT:October 3, 2008Away From Her is Sarah Polley´s directorial debut, this film is about a man trying to take care of his wife, who has Alzheimer's disease. The movie has some heart wrenching scenes and a really good script, but I think that this movie could be better, I mean, maybe with more feelings.
Yes, Julie Christie is awesome, her performance was brilliant and Gordon Pinsent did a really good job too. Awy From Her could be great, but you know, it´s Sarah Polley first movie, let´s give her another chance, we know she can. -
MCT:September 24, 2008
''I never wanted to be away from her.''
A man coping with the institutionalization of his wife because of Alzheimer's disease faces an epiphany when she transfers her affections to another man, Aubrey, a wheel chair-bound mute who also is a patient at the nursing home.
Gordon Pinsent: Grant Anderson
Away From Her was slow moving, a snail's crawl if you will, and just a tad confusing via the chronological sequence and no instruction on how to follow, plus the fact it goes on far longer than is required.
That being said there is some powerful performances on display and honestly made Away From Her an experience for me.
''I think all we can aspire to in this situation is a little bit of grace.''
I was rather disturbed by the fact that audiences could be moved or romanticized by AFH, which features a couple who supposedly are meant to be madly in love, married for forty years but the husband has had an affair, and then moves on to sleep with another woman which is fine because his wife has Alzheimer's and has taken to another man of her own. There is nothing sweet or romantic about the film and in fact results in a more confusing and rather odd scenario. Rather than being about a man dealing with his wife's increasing Alzheimer's, it's about relationships between four strains of aging people thrown together because of the condition.
''It's never too late to become what you might have been.''
Some of the photography of AFH does single out the director's relative inexperience behind said camera, which is more than replaced by the slow pace, mood and uncommon sincerity of the film. Polley may be learning how to capture the essence of a story, she's definitely has a viewpoint and stance on how to tell one, as witnessed by the aforementioned chronological mix-up narrative drive accompanied by a somber and minimized score that maintains the level of emotion until the end credits.
One hopes the young lady will stay behind cameras alot longer, if only to challenge other filmmakers to follow her example.
Having said that, this isn't the kind of film one would expect an emerging young director to create ? particularly since it has aspirations of being a Bergman-esque chamber drama which, while fairly compelling and austere, clearly lacks the necessary depth which a master craftsman would otherwise bring to such material.
''I'd like to make love, and then I'd like you to go. Because I need to stay here and if you make it hard for me, I may cry so hard I'll never stop.''
In conclusion, Away From Her aims at expected peaks and goals and mostly ticks them off the list, but remember, this isn't a film about surprises and stultifying plot twists like memory twister Memento for example.
It is a sympathetic, affecting, uncompromising look at Alzheimer's effect on it's victim and surrounding people that know her, like family, husband etc.
So slow pace, grand performances and for Sarah Polley's screen writing and directing debut, it's a very impressive start.
''I never wanted to be away from her. She had the spark of life.'' -
MCT:September 23, 2008Heart wrenching and beautiful,Wow this man had a fierce love for his wife,any woman should be so lucky,I was there spot on with every aspect of this film UNTIL,the adultery although I can understand the loneliness the 2 (other) partners must have been feeling I just was hoping that wouldn't happen.Anyway other than that this was simply brilliant,loved the story I loved Their love and great ,great acting.Highly recommended.=)
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MCT:August 5, 2008
"Longe Dela" é um filme delicado e sensível, porém sofre em diversos momentos por ser arrastado demais.
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MCT:August 4, 2008
A great film about love, commitment and failing memory. Leaves you think about those things long after watching it.
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MCT:July 18, 2008An incredible movie! The story plot is very touching. Here's a movie that centralizes on the one of many illnesses that commonly affect people. This is a story about an old couple who have just about everything in their lives, but soon realizes that one has Alzheimer?s. Great movie directed by Sarah Polley. Absolutely fantastic music! Love it. Great cast. A must-see.
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MCT:July 15, 2008
It is a bumpy ride through Alzheimer, not literally but especially when two people madly in love can?t even help it. Love in extreme conditions can actually make people do impossible things and it feels ridiculously good after a few tears and also the nostalgia, which hits and makes you wanting to get Alzheimer to get rid of the pain.
Well Done! -
MCT:July 12, 2008Not a bad movie but it's so overrated, The main storyline is good and all but the movie is somehow uninteresting specially in its dialogue lines
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MCT:July 11, 2008I was very disappointed by this movie; I was really expecting it to tug at my heart-strings, but it came up short.
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MCT:July 10, 2008
Polley? the girl I met in Go? A very good surprise! First, when I heard about this film I thought it was boring (a story about Alzheimer and love relationships between third age people) fortunately I watched a short part of the beggining on dvd so when finally it arrived to my local cinema (it took quite a long time) I saw it. Julie Christie's a lady every minute she appeared. The story is simple but beautiful. The portait of the people with Alzheimer and the third age is sensitive and tender but it looks very realistic. At the end of the film I wanted like never to arrive at that age and to have someone to love similar to them.
Sin ser cursi es una bella historia de amor (ok, tal vez algo cursi). Los personajes me encantaron, en especial los dos principales. Es de esas películas que sorprenden por ser tan sencillas y a la vez tan grandiosas. Con la misma tranquilidad con que comienza se sigue y se termina y de pronto uno se encuentra viendo los créditos después de haber reído, llorado y añorando llegar a viejo así (tal vez no con alzheimer pero sí amando así) -
MCT:July 3, 2008
Away From Her stars Julie Christie and Gordon Pinsent who, in my opinion both should have won Oscars for their roles. They play a couple married for 44 years when tragedy strikes. Christie's character has Alzheimer's, and her husband has the awful task of putting her into a seniors home. This is a very sad movie and very well done. Sarah Polley directed this film, and does an excellent job at her first time directing. Miss Polley, it should be noted was only 27 years old when this movie was made.
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MCT:June 24, 2008
Overrated TV style movie about husband's inability to make peace with his wife's Alzheimer's disease. Difficult to care about a character who has no emotion for the husband that loves her.
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MCT:June 23, 2008
Sorry Julia, people don't write good shit for old actresses anymore. There are some fresh concepts in the story, but any chance of resonance is choked by Polley's stiff arty direction.
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MCT:June 21, 2008
Beautiful, heartbreaking, real and moving. All I can hope for in my life is that myself and my love don't ever have to go through what this couple did. But if that is our fate, we can love each other enough to make it to the end with young love still in our hearts and our dearest memories burned in our mind.
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MCT:June 18, 2008
The movie, Polley's feature debut, is a small-scale triumph that could herald a great career.
A sad and sometimes funny tale of Alzheimer's, love and loss. -
MCT:June 10, 2008
This is a very heartbreaking look at a disease that effects so many people. It is beautifully directed by Sarah Polley and acted by Julie Christie and Gordon Pinsent!
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MCT:June 6, 2008
Though the film has great performances, I didn't find enough substance in it to truly appreciate it.
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MCT:May 30, 2008
Because I have known people who've died from complications due to Alzheimer's, and because my dad is actually right now "on the second floor," it is difficult for me to take this film to task. So I'll go easy with just this one sticking point. The whole adultery angle, historically in one marriage, and current in both, is pervasive to a point of undercutting and even obscuring the depth of love these two pairs of husbands and wives have felt for each other and how each has been impacted by the disease acting upon one spouse. Pinsent's bartering with forced companionship and finally sex with Dukakis for the hope of bringing happiness to his wife by hauling Murphy back to the care facility is fairly disturbing. He was a philanderer then, and he's a philanderer now. Maybe he would be well served if Christie were in part seeking to punish him for his wandering eye by "faking" the progression of her illness. Did they really want to introduce this into the story? It's a mistake. I've read and enjoyed a lot of Munro, but I've not read this story. My guess is, if this is a close adaptation, that I would not enjoy the story.
Enough. Julie Christie pulls off one of her better performances here, but if you want to see a truly moving film about the devastating effects of Alzheimer's, you must see Memories of Tomorrow (Ashita no kioku) with Ken Watanabe.
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MCT:May 28, 2008
very sad film about a man who has to deal with his wife having alzheimers disease he was very devoted to her grab a hanky for this one
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MCT:May 28, 2008
A touching yet sad film...tackles a difficult subject...would've liked to have seen more development around the illness.
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MCT:May 25, 2008
Awesome performances enhance this quiet, spellbinding movie about the harrowing devastation of Alzheimer's disease...
