Away from Her
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Movie Reviews of Away from Her
Movie Review: Grace under pressure--but very unrealistic care facility
Summary: 3 Stars
When Fiona Anderson (Christie) discovers she has Alzheimer's Disease, she opts to go to a nursing home. Her husband, Grant (Pinsent) objects, but she's firm and believes it is for the best. It takes a lot of grace to step away from a 44 year marriage and into a home on your own. Christie's depiction of her parting with her husband is heart-wrenching.
The couple has never been apart for 44 years, but the facility requires that they have no contact for the first 30 days. This is to allow Fiona to settle in. When Grant returns, he's greeted by a stranger who has formed an attachment to another male inmate Aubrey (Michael Murphy).
The story focuses mainly on the older couple, but we see occasional flashbacks of younger times. And Grant rightfully questions whether Fiona has forgotten him after the 30 day separation or if she's punishing him for his infidelities as a young college professor.
"Away From Her" brings into focus issues of eldercare and elder sexuality that many of us might shy away from. The story is treated with grace and compassion and while it could be depressing, is uplifting in many ways.
22-year-old Sarah Polley did an astounding job bringing this cast and story together. She's already a force to be reckoned with and has been since her film debut at 9.
The depiction of the care facility Fiona's committed to is lovely and I wish with all my heart it was so. There are many compassionate and loving people in the eldercare business, but there are also many under-staffed, underpaid and overworked employees as well whose decisions are made by 'bean counters' and staff convenience rather than the welfare of the patient. One solid example of this in the movie is the 30-day required separation for new patients to 'settle in' to the facility. How cruel is that to entrust your beloved family member to a new place without being able to see them and check on their welfare?
Movie Review: Away From Her
Summary: 3 Stars
It followed Alice Munro's short story "The Bear Came Over the Mountain" very well except for the ending. I think the movie's ending was not as plausable as Munro's short story. However, my wife and I watched the movie and were moved by it. It is thoughtfully done. And Julie Christy did not disappoint us.Movie Review: Beautiful, excellent and so amazingly sad
Summary: 4 Stars
I was heartbroken 25 minutes into the movie. I was in tears by the hour. This was a very emotional and intimate film about a couple and what happens when one of them suffers from Alzheimers. Julie Christie and Gordon Pinsent are exceptional in their characters. The cinematography profundly expresses the solitude encountered when one is "going", not yet "gone". Honest and very realistic, the movie is fantastically told. It is a beautiful film that everyone should see.
The Special Features has deleted scenes and audio commentary by Sarah Polley.
Movie Review: Loved it
Summary: 5 Stars
If you loved Notebook you will love this movie, a rainy or snowy afternoon with a cup of tea and a cookie, and this movie is a great way to relax and enjoy the day. It has sad moments but thats life right? Movie Review: a haunting tale of love and loss
Summary: 4 Stars
****1/2
Julie Christie gives the performance of her career in "Away From Her," a profoundly moving and beautifully realized film about the tragedy of Alzheimer's. Christie plays Fiona Anderson, a once-vital woman now suffering the ravages of that uniquely cruel disease. As her condition worsens, she and Grant, her husband of 44 years, agree that she must finally move into a facility specifically designed for the care of Alzheimer's patients.
Based on a story by Alice Munro, "Away From her" is more than just the tale of a woman slowly losing herself and her identity in a world of increasing mental oblivion; it is a heartbreaking story of enduring love, as Grant comes to terms with losing his life partner not merely to the condition itself but possibly to a fellow patient with whom she seems to have developed a romantic relationship. Sarah Polley's superb debut script doesn't shy away from showing us the grim effects of the disease both on the person afflicted and the loved ones being gradually left behind. Grant is, in many ways, the focal point of the drama and it is his selfless devotion to the woman he loves that serves as a beacon of hope for what would otherwise be an unendurably depressing story.
Christie and Gordon Pinsent are utterly flawless in their performances and both deserve every accolade that could conceivably be bestowed on them for their work in this film. Without a trace of histrionics or the slightest hint of affectation, Christie conveys the terrifying blankness of a woman forced to exist in her own private hell from which there is no escape, cut off from the people and things that once meant so much to her. Equally impressive is Pinsent's shattering portrayal of a man trying to accept the inevitability of the disease yet, in his own subtle, quiet way, kicking and screaming against that acceptance every step of the way. Olympia Dukakis is also moving as the wife of the man with whom Fiona has forged a relationship, a situation that provides a common ground upon which the two hurting spouses can meet and share their concerns.
Polley displays a remarkable assurance and control in this her maiden effort as a director. She somehow manages to avoid all the potential pitfalls inherent to this type of a story. Though her film is undeniably moving, it never slips over into morbid sentimentality or disease-of-the-week condescension as it so easily might have, thanks, in large part, to the stark and spare way in which she films most of her scenes (the wintry Ontario locale helps immeasurably with this). My one slight criticism of the film is its portrayal of the nursing home administrator, who seems remarkably obtuse in the things she says at times. I don't doubt that such people exist in those positions, but she seems too much of a subtly smiling Nurse Ratched-type to really work in this film. The character tends to throw the equilibrium of the piece out of whack whenever she appears.
Still, this is an amazing movie that certainly should have been nominated for a Best Picture Oscar. Don't miss it.