I finally saw Sarah Polley's latest film, Take this Waltz (2011), and its definitely on the roster for my Women Directors class. I have to especially thank Didion at "Feminema" for recommending the film; Her site is the single best place for discussions of feminism and cinema out there, and I encourage everyone to follow her. Her writing is inspiring: sharp and astute, witty, occasionally outraged but also full of delight. Awesome.
Polley directs her films with a graceful eye and a nuanced touch. Her first feature, Away from Her (2006), based on an Alice Munro short story, showcases the luminous Julie Christie as a woman suffering from Alzheimer's, and Gordon Pinsent as the man losing his wife and closest friend. While Polley has a wonderful ear for how people talk to each other, her silences, and the visual images that fill them, really speak to her particular talents.
Take this Waltz is supposedly inspired by the Leonard Cohen song of the same name, which plays during a really cool spinning camera montage sequence at film's end. I'm not really a fan of the gravelly voiced songster, but I don't get the Tom Waits love either, even though he's great in Down by Law. The lyrics to Cohen's song are impressively poetic and evocative.
The film is an examination of contemporary coupling through the eyes of the prickly, slightly neurotic Margo, played with downbeat reserve by Michelle Williams. Returning from a writing assignment, Margo shares a plane ride, and a cab, with the sharp-tongued Daniel (Luke Kirby), who had previously provoked her, in public, to flog a man as part of a historical re-enactment. In the midst of a Canadian heat wave, the two have a heady chemistry spurred by a playful antagonism toward each other--a signal that there is attraction between them. On arriving home, Margo discovers that Daniel is literally the boy next door, and she blurts out that she's married as they hesitantly part to their opposite sides of the street. "Oh, that's too bad," Daniel replies. They separate, but only temporarily as they repeatedly come together in a seductive "dance."
Margo is married to the solid, dependable Lou played by Seth Rogen with a gentle blending of humor and gravitas. He's a cook writing a cookbook on how to cook chicken, and he loves Margo in a playful, puppy dog fashion. Their relationship is companionable, but slightly off, conveying a distance that belies their five years together. Daniel is the wrench in the works, the guy who makes Margo question everything she has, and everything that might be missing.
I have to admit that Daniel did not make my heart skip a beat in any way at first. He seemed like a new sweater Margo might like trying on for a little bit, but nothing worth spending all her money (or her marriage) on. Yet Polley expertly crafts two contrasting scenes of Margo with her two men: one has Margo and Daniel having martinis together, the other highlights Margo and Lou celebrating their five year anniversary at a nice restaurant.
When Margo timidly, but directly asks Daniel "I want to know what you'd do to me," she provokes one of the most erotic conversations I've seen or heard in the cinema. Daniel describes what he would "do to Margo" in intimate and glorious detail, and she is understandably moved by his creative vocabulary choices. Yeah, I'm a feminist intellectual so words are hot, hot, hot. This scene changed the temperature of the film for me completely. Now Daniel had my attention.
In contrast, when Lou and Margo celebrate their anniversary, the awkwardness between them is loud and clear. The fact that Daniel takes them for a free ride in his taxi/rickshaw as an anniversary present doesn't help matters. Still, Polley shoots Margo's discomfort simultaneously with her desire as Margo's gaze moves hungrily over Daniel's body during the trip. The above image hints toward the benign cluelessness Lou displays, oblivious to the tensions circulating around him.
At dinner, the two of them eat their food in silence. When Margo haltingly asks Lou how things are going, he looks at her quizzically. She attempts conversation, but Lou pointedly states that he doesn't have anything to say. He sees Margo's disappointment, but can only respond by telling her that he loves her--he really does! For Margo, his heartfelt sentiments are just not enough anymore. Daniel is the match that restarted her fire.
Some of the scenes are so visually stunning that I cannot fully describe them here. A "dance" between Daniel and Margo in an empty swimming pool is definitely one of the film's highlights. Further, Sarah Silverman, like Rogen, proves that she is not just a funny girl, but a talented actress; Silverman, as Lou's sister Geraldine, wields her snarky comments like a defensive shield to cover over her substance abuse history and emotional pain. She's involved in a climactic scene towards the end of the film that brutally calls into question Margo's decisions. Geraldine's passive aggression slips into just plain aggression as she carves out a painful place in Margo's heart. The event that precipitates their encounter feels a little contrived, but the potent interaction between these two women is outstanding. Polley astutely shows us that beloved "in-laws" can often become the casualties of troubled marriages, and that some decisions have far reaching repercussions for those seemingly on the periphery.
I don't want to give away the decisions that Margo ultimately makes; she did surprise me, which is a testament to Polley's skilled storytelling. While Polley does cinematically reveal some of Daniel's and Lou's subjective moments, the film's focus and heart belongs to Margo. Spectators see through her eyes and viscerally feel her emotional struggles. Polley is a woman director to watch, and she masterfully gives her woman character a distinctive voice and point-of-view. Let's hope that Polley's star continues to rise. She deserves the kinds of accolades that shower directors like Alexander Payne. I eagerly await her next outing.
