I love reading the New Yorker. It is an addiction, purchasing one a month and taking another two or three weeks to gingerly read everything. I've gotten great book, music and movie recommendations, ranging from Malcolm Gladwell's counter-intuitive business articles to becoming a fan of Detroit's the Dirtbombs and their garage-rock take on 70s pop and soul standards.Sarah Polley's recent movie Away From Her started out as an Alice Munro short story in the New Yorker. The Bear Came Over the Mountain is a wonderful composition - the snapshot of an elderly couple's half year struggle with Alzheimer's. When the movie came out, the story was posted on the New Yorker website and graciously , you can read it here.
The film is almost better than its source, one of those rare instances where what is captured by the camera is equal to or better than its inspiration. Julie Christie as Fiona, losing her mental facilities, moves into an elder care home and provokes the disbelief of her husband, Gordon Pinsent, who thinks that maybe there is something buried and unmentioned in his wife's deteriorating condition. The acting is especially great with Christie, Pinsent, Olympia Dukakis and Michael Murphy all putting in 'sweep the Oscars' performances.
But the vast majority of the praise must be reserved for Sarah Polley. Polley wrote the screenplay and directed the movie with a deft, unhurried eye and the confidence of a super-intelligent actor going behind the camera. Thankfully, her days as a Hollywood ingenue are over and I can only hope that her New Yorker addiction will continue.
Rating: **** (ie best movie I have seen this year)
2 comments:
Good review. I'm hoping to see this movie. Julie Christie is an underrated actor.
Hope you like it Vicki.
Not sure if Matt will get into it, but it really reminded me of the Sweet Hereafter. Same kind of pacing and Egoyan is an exec producer.
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