Review of Stories We Tell (2012) by Walter M — 28 May 2013

With her latest film, the emotional documentary "Stories We Tell," Sarah Polley takes a tour with more than its share of twists and turns through her complex family history(which are foreshadowed right from the start). Namely the focus is on all of the things that had to happen for her even to be born(as life imitates art which imitates life), which are simultaneously hugely important and not at all relevant, and by implication why you are not reading a review of "Kon-Tiki" right now. That story starts with the meeting of her parents, both stage actors.(Her father Michael is perhaps best known for his role in the television series "Slings and Arrows" which featured Sarah in season 3.) All of which works towards being a sort of cinematic seance in her trying to conjure the spirit of her mother Diane who died when she was only a child.

For the first time as a filmmaker, Ms. Polley turns the camera on herself, detailing her process which not only includes her father reading from his recollections but also the use of 8mm film for recreations that fit in seamlessly with home movies also seen here. The idea is to create as complete a picture as possible which includes input from as many people as possible, over one person's objections. Plus, Ms. Polley again includes references to the culture and history of her native Canada, which in this instance is the cultural differences between Toronto and Montreal which is different from what I would have supposed.

If "Stories We Tell" has a serious fault, it is that Ms. Polley does not really know how to end the film and ends up rambling a little bit. Of course, a story like this one really does not have an end...