Away From Her

2007. Written and directed by Sarah Polley, based on the Short Story "The Bear Came Over the Mountain" by Alice Munro. Starring Julie Christie, Gordon Pinsent, and Olympia Dukakis.

Sarah Polley, an impressive young actress, is now an Oscar-nominated writer and has made her directorial debut. It is a confident film that many love. I liked it. There are great moments played out mainly in the face of Gordon Pinsent as Grant, a man who loves his wife very much but has to watch her mind slip from her as Alzheimer's sets in. I have never been a big Julie Christie fan, but she does a good job with this character (gaining an Oscar nomination in the process). Pinsent is just as good, and I think his performance is just as difficult. Christie's face, gripped by Alzheimer's, is often free of deep emotion, but Pinsent's face carries the emotions of the film. It is a quiet film that moves along slowly, but it exists in powerful moments. My involvement came and went. It didn't grip me completely, but it was an honest and thoughtful depiction of how life can change completely when you least expect it.

My grade: B