A beautiful love story about a woman, who slowly loses her memory, and her husband, who can not let her go. Lovely but really really sad… :’ (

The opening scene of this movie has Gordon Pinsent driving his old Ford truck; out the driver’s side window you can see the snow-covered fields, and the musical score is very sparse. To me, that screams stereotypical Canadian movie. That isn’t a bad thing, as I like all kinds of movies, as long as their good, and this one definitely is. It’s just letting you know that you’re going to be watching a quiet study of human emotions that moves at its own pace. The people I went with enjoyed it, but I think they might have been expecting a little more forward momentum, while I enjoyed the slower pace as it allowed me to focus on the characters and, more importantly the performances. And there are some great ones.

The story is fairly straightforward. Grant, a retired college professor (Pinsent) and his wife Fiona (Julie Christie) are living a near-idyllic life in their cabin, which slowly begins to fall apart due to her progressing Alzheimer’s disease. A difficult decision is made to place her in an extended care facility, but the catch is that Grant can’t see Fiona for thirty days while she gets acclimatized to the settings. What happens after those thirty days have passed puts Grant’s dedication to his wife to the test.

Julie Christie has been getting rave reviews for her work in this picture, and for good reason: it’s a difficult part, and she puts in a beautifully nuanced performance. From the contentment to confusion, she doesn’t overplay it, but keeps you right in the moment. In most reviews Gordon Pinsent’s work has been overshadowed by Christie’s, as he has a quieter and less obvious role, but I found him riveting. Every line he had spoke to the truth of the situation, and as he’s in almost every scene, the movie rests on his more-than-capable shoulders. The supporting cast also put in excellent performances; Olympia Dukakis, Michael Murphy and Kristen Thomson are terrific.

Polley’s direction is simple and doesn’t call attention to itself. She focuses on the acting; innovative camera tricks would have distracted from the movie’s simplicity and a mostly point-and-shoot technique works. She’s got a good eye for the moment, and this is a good film from a first-time director.

The story is dramatic, but there are moments of real humour that offer relief without seeming out of place; if anything they add to the poignancy. Away From Her was a great movie that I highly recommend; might be a little slow if you’ve been watching the big-budget summer sequels but I found it a refreshing change.

Direct and vague, sweet and ironic.

The entire film has a pensive tone and the outlines of the relationship between the characters is gradually revealed. I found the film surprising, complex and moving. It’s a rare chance to see great actors acting their age in a story that never takes the easy way out.