Review of Take This Waltz (2011) by Deer H — 12 Sep 2011

As a fan of Michelle Williams and Seth Rogen (who I think could one day be a great serious actor) I really really wanted to like this film, which is why I fought to get a ticket at TIFF. Also as a girl who loves film I'd love to see more female directors thrive.

Sadly the movie is flat, ugly to look at, and there are very few moments which feel real. To be frank, it all felt like a precious acting exercise. Luke Kirby's character, a sexy rickshaw driver (!?!), felt as false and fake as anything Michael Bay would come up with. And the writing was awful, full of groan-worthy lines and moments which strive to be poetic but come up way short. I think Sarah Polley could be a good director one day but maybe she needs the crutch of an Alice Munro story to help her get over her own plot weaknesses...because this movie just doesn't work on almost any level. I will say that I liked (didn't love) Michelle Williams, and even though this is one of her less exciting performances she remains one of the most watchable, subtle, and cool actresses of her generation. What Sarah Polley could have been if she had the guts to stretch herself out of her "just-stare-at-the-camera-and-blink-meaningfully" performance-rut she's been in over the last decade. Bonus star for Sarah Silverman. Gotta love her. Hope to see her star in something one day.