Fiction has long been a tool for humanity to create a preferred reality than the one they have, and in its evolution we created fairy tales where everyone lived happily ever after and romantic comedies where love and romance are always spontaneous and full of laughter. What they don’t show is that every relationship, no matter how initially passionate, eventually establishes a routine. Even that enduring passion can itself become the routine. Finding new joy within that routine becomes the challenge and the source of renewal, but unfortunately for many the routine feels dull and seems to offer nothing, making exploration in a new relationship deceptively enticing. Sarah Polley’s Take This Waltz examines this phenomenon and does so through the incredibly talented Michelle Williams who plays a restless wife seeking an escape from routine, only to find it inescapable.
Margot’s (Williams) writing career takes her around the country and on a flight returning home she sits next to Daniel (Luke Kirby) whose flirtatious advances and genuine desire to explore Margot’s peculiar ways spark an intense attraction within her. As luck would have it, they happen to only live a few doors down from one another, forcing Margot to confront her feelings in the context of her marriage with Lou (Seth Rogen), a chef writing a cookbook on all the different ways to cook chicken. Since getting married, Margot and Lou have lost a lot of the passion in their marriage: the few nights they do go out, they have nothing to talk about, and when they stay in they rarely seem to be in the same mindset at the same time, causing a bit of sexual tension with little opportunity for relief. With Daniel there to tempt her with the promise of a new relationship brimming with lust and passion, Margot sacrifices her seemingly dull routine only to discover that she’s attempting to run from an inevitable aspect of every relationship.
Though not a particularly likable character due to her wild mood swings and generally unpredictable temperament, Margot takes a gamble that mirrors a fantasy every person in a relationship considers at some point: what if I was with someone else? Obviously, not everyone pursues that route and not everyone fantasizes about it for the same reason, but it’s the idea that somehow it would be different. Margot unfortunately hoped to escape an element of her relationship that wasn’t specific to her and Lou, and consequently she discovers too late the truth about routine.
Besides a few belly laughs by Seth Rogen two-thirds of the way through, the main (if not only) reason to see Take This Waltz is for Michelle Williams’s performance. She plays the part beautifully, communicating more in a tilt of the head or conflicted expression than many in her generation can. It’s another brilliant character-driven piece by her and she continues to impress year after year.
Blu-ray Bonus Features
A basic productions featurette and a promo spot are the only extras.
"Take This Waltz" is on sale October 23, 2012 and is rated R. Drama. Written and directed by Sarah Polley. Starring Luke Kirby, Michelle Williams, Sarah Silverman, Seth Rogen.
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