Take this Waltz - please

Finally a gorgeous sunny hot weekend, and I have, rather quietly, been enjoying it.  Quietly as I really have been ... quiet ... today.  No music or radio (apart from during some early morning exercise), not much interaction with the outside world, and only the occasional back and forth about something serious (like cat treats) with Maggie.  It's been really nice.  The rhythm of the day, which started early thanks to Maggie and the sun, has been pretty good overall.

But on to more interesting things.  I went to see Take this Waltz with my pal A. last night - this is Sarah Polley's latest directorial effort after the lovely Away from Her.  FINALLY a movie that has me thinking...it feels like it has been a very long time since that has happened.

The movie revolves around writer Margot (Michelle Williams), who is married to chef/cookbook writer Lou (Seth Rogan), and whose head has been turned by the handsome artist next door, Daniel (Luke Kirby).  It all sounds like a pretty simple, been-there-done-that plot, but Polley doesn't take the easy road.  Lou and Margot are not a dysfunctional couple, they are quite happy together; and we actually stay with the characters long enough to feel the consequences of what transpires.  At the heart of this film is that weird emptiness that we've all felt (I assume) at some point, that we mistakenly think someone else's presence will fill...and if you're feeling that emptiness with your current partner, well, maybe the guy next door will pack that void for you...

As I watched it unfold, I dreaded the inevitable betrayal...but I understood it.  The characters are beautifully written, and their relationships feel real. You're privy to the very particular intimacies between Lou and Margot - the way they talk to each other when no one else is around, and the moments of hurt and frustration that seem to materialize out of nowhere.  It's everyday life, and it is painfully familiar to anyone who has been in a long term relationship.

And cudos to Polley for creating a hyper-saturated, gorgeous look at one of my favorite neighbourhoods in Toronto.  The colour and art direction and the soundtrack are all fantastic.

I could go on, but I won't - go see it for yourself.  If I was back in film studies at University, this is one I'd want to write about.