Away from Her

Sarah Polley's directorial feature, Away from Her, certainly shows that she is more than just an actress. Clearly influenced by Atom Egoyan's style (she worked with him on The Sweet Hereafter) her film has a smooth, deliberate pace that suits the material. Fiona (Julie Christie) and her husband, Grant (Gordon Pinsent), together decide that it is time for Fiona to move into an aged-care facility. Her onset of Alzheimer's arrives quickly, but Gordon is torn between wanting to give her a dignified home situation and not wanting to let her go - they have had a marvellous life together. Julie Christie is very fine as Fiona, but it is Gordon Pinsent's performance that is remarkable. He shows great depth as Gordon, always understated and gracious. It is a difficult character, one we don't see often, yet he plays Gordon with ease. Also, despite her limited screen time, it is worth noting Olympia Dukakis' lovely performance as Marian . She should work more. While Sarah Polley's direction is assured, her screenplay, adapted from a short story 'The Bear Came Over the Mountain', lacks a power to match the performances. The dialogue is, at times, stiff and some scenes don't flow well together. Perhaps this is a stylistic decision but even so, it felt inconsistent. This weak writing lessened the impact of the couple's relationship early on, diminishing the compassion we should feel for them later on. Having said that, there is still a lot to enjoy in this ultimately touching film.

7.5 on the DaveScale.

(dir. Sarah Polley, Canada, 110 mins)