Movie Review: Take This Waltz (2011)

Genre: Romantic Dramedy

Director: Sarah Polley

Starring: Michelle Williams, Seth Rogen, Luke Kirby, Sarah Silverman

Running Time: 116 minutes

Synopsis: Toronto-based freelance writer Margot (Michelle Williams) is married to cookbook author Lou (Seth Rogen), although they often clash due to mismatched affection levels. Margot suffers from insecurities, but blossoms when she meets free-spirited neighbour Daniel (Luke Kirby), an amateur artist and rickshaw operator. She is torn between the thrill of a potential new romance and Lou's steady love.

What Works Well: With Michelle Williams embracing Margot's fragility, writer and director Sarah Polley delves deep into the psyche of a woman at the crossroads. The classic dilemma of established but imperfect comfort challenged by the thrill of novelty is handled with organic tenderness and peppered with humour, best enjoyed during a delightfully edgy spoken seduction scene. Lou's chicken recipe obsession and his raucous family (including Sarah Silverman as a sister struggling to achieve sobriety) add an attractive mélange of smells and colour.

What Does Not Work As Well: As the bohemian would-be dreamy lover who always knows exactly what to say, Daniel is too clichéd for his own good. Compared to the thoughtful set-up, the final act unravels into a fast-forward rush. A running time closer to 100 minutes would have better suited the material.

Conclusion: A refreshingly raw romantic triangle, enlivened by honest human foibles.



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