This film marks the directorial debut of Sarah Polley, well-known Canadian actress who, at 28, has now broadened her resume to include screenwriting and directing. The film is based on Alice Munro’s short story The Bear Came Over the Mountain. It deals with the subtle changes in a lifelong relationship between husband and wife when the wife begins to suffer the early symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. The story seemed “immediately cinematic,” says Polley. “The imagery was so beautiful and the characters were finely nuanced… the dialogue was so strange and specific and strong. It felt to me that this story was already a film if anybody wanted it to be one. And what I really wanted to do with this film was honour my experience of that story." After putting the frying pan in the fridge once too often, Fiona (Julie Christie) convinces husband Grant (Gordon Pinsent) to check her into a care home. After a month at the facility Fiona begins forming an attachment to fellow patient Aubrey (Michael Murphy). Added to this mild-mannered tug of love is Grant's guilt over a past dalliance and the question of whether Fiona is secretly punishing him for that.
Polley brings hope, poetry and light to a place of apparent desolation. There are haunting flashes of the past while, in the present, a dramatic snowy landscape hints at the barren space growing between the couple. Then she frequently undercuts this mood of whimsical melancholy with outrageous humour. So one patient (Thomas Hauff) is an ex-sports pundit who commentates on everything from a walk down the hall to a wistful glance! It's a cannily composed story, soulful and wonderfully acted. It's the nuances in Christie's performance, however, that really linger in the mind. Outstanding. – Stella Papamichael, BBC Reviews
Away From Her screens on Saturday, September 29, 2007 at 7:30 pm at Collins Hall. The running time is 109 minutes. Rated PG-13 with some strong language. Facilities for the hearing impaired will be available. Bring your own pillow to improve seating comfort. Doors and concession open at 7 pm. Reserved tickets are available for film society members only by phoning 604-947-0450 and will be held until 7:15 pm. Ten percent of all door admissions are donated to the Bowen Island CHAC fund. Review by Michael Epp