Away From Her
3 stars
Julie Christie, Gordon Pinsent, Olympia Dukakis
Directed by Sarah Polley
Rated PG-13
Opens Friday
Actors often seem to transfer the same characteristics they exhibit in front of the camera when they move behind it. Polley is no exception, as she brings all of the grace, beauty and intelligence that have made her such an interesting screen presence to her feature directorial debut. It’s a delicate story, full of rewards for those with patience and perception, but it’s delivered with such a light touch that it could just as easily float away.
Grant and Fiona have been married for more than 40 years when the film begins. Grant used to teach at a university, and Fiona alludes to his having indiscretions with some of his students long ago. We get the sense, though, that for the last several years they’ve had a happy life.
That is, until Fiona begins forgetting things, and the onset of Alzheimer’s threatens their close bond. At this point most movies would begin tugging on your heartstrings and turn into weepy tragedies. Away From Her is about memory and the role it plays in relationships, but it is ultimately a love story—or, more accurately, a story that questions the nature of what true love is.
Fiona is played by Julie Christie (whom Polley has co-starred with in several films). In both her acting and the cinematography, she has a radiant, ethereal quality. Opposite her is Pinsent as Grant, a roguish man who looks and acts a bit like late James Coburn, perhaps with a shade more gentility.
Polley has credited Atom Egoyan (who serves as executive producer on this film) as an influence on her directing. In both tone and imagery, her picture resembles The Sweet Hereafter, for which the Canadian actress remains perhaps best known. It feels a bit cold (literally and figuratively) and distant. There are long stretches of silence and stillness, which help give the movie texture but produce little narrative tension. Maybe it’s because the screenplay (also by Polley) was adapted from a short story and should have been made into a short film.
Regardless, there’s much to like in this assured and insightful debut. As in most films directed by actors, the performances are strong all around. Polley makes effective use of a fractured narrative and some luminous visuals. It takes a difficult subject and handles it with grace and humor. If parts of it threaten to disappear, that’s probably just a reflection of Fiona’s state of mind.