Take This Waltz

Starring: Michelle Williams, Seth Rogen, Luke Kirby, Sarah Silverman
Directed by: Sarah Polley
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy, Drama
2012

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A woman (Michelle Williams) who loves her husband (Seth Rogen) finds herself falling for another man (Luke Kirby).

Review:

Tim: Sarah Polley's last film, Away From Her was a fairly good effort. It was dramatic and a bit beautiful, although it was a little forgettable. For the most part, I enjoyed it. This film is another interesting one, but I felt like it wasn't quite as good as her previous movie.

I like that Polley is focused on telling small, emotional, somewhat realistic stories. We certainly need more movies like this. It was great seeing this cast together in a stripped down, quiet, un-Hollywood movie. So, while the idea of this film was good, the execution left quite a bit too be desired. The movie is uneven and not well balanced. There's far too many scenes that drag. The payoff at the end of the movie is not worth the far-too-long 116 minute run time. There's a lot of flaws here.

The cast, though, is quite good. Michelle Williams continues to refine her craft in small movies like this, building her indie cred. Williams really, truly is a very good actress. There were a few moments in this film where she was absolutely stunning. This showed up in very small moments- Williams never has that huge, over-the-top emotional explosion. She makes her mark in small, quiet, easy-to-miss ways. If you're paying attention, however, you will be impressed. Her small mannerisms, the nearly imperceptible things she does with her eyes- she really gave an incredible performance here.

I also really enjoyed Seth Rogen in this film. Rogen has proven he's one of the funniest actors in Hollywood today. It was really fun seeing him in a slightly different light. Yes, he's still playing a variation of himself, but his funny moments definitely took back-seat to his dramatic ones. I'm still not convinced he is a great actor, but it was refreshing to see him in this more serious, dramatic light. Luke Kirby was good as Daniel. He wasn't nearly as good as Williams or Rogen, but he was entertaining in the role. He and Williams have some great moments together. I also enjoyed seeing Sarah Silverman here. Silverman is someone I've always liked, but I haven't always been sure why. I think she has a lot of potential. It was good to see her in this dramatic role, but besides one or two great moments, she doesn't have a whole lot to do.

The story feels believable. It's really a story a lot of people can relate to- a woman loves her husband, but finds herself strangely attracted to another man. It's a simple story, but one that is exceedingly complex. I really appreciated that Polley (who wrote the film) worked hard to fight against the easy opportunity to make this a typically Hollywood movie. This is sometimes a very bleak movie, but I felt like it presented people in a realistic light. The ending of the film is powerful in its final message. I won't spoil it, but it's not the message you typically get from the run-of-the-mill Hollywood fare.

While I appreciate Polley's attempt, I cannot say I loved this movie. The film wasn't especially entertaining to watch. It starts off very slow, and while it does build, the end of the film isn't good enough to make me feel like the whole journey was worthwhile. Take This Waltz does have some good moments, but as a whole, feels like an incomplete, average movie.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 6



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Away From Her, Wendy and Lucy, Blue Valentine