Quietb-1

(2013-05-18 07:35:18)

Yep. Take This Waltz

Michelle Williams is a daring, interesting and talented actress. Hereshe effortless plays a bored immature housewife. Seth Rogen works hardto keep the marriage fun.The movie suffers from the written and directed syndrome as it is toolong. There doesn't seem to be a reason for the Williams character tostray except the writer needed it to happen. The writer needed to manycoincidences to set it up the new more interesting guy. There's a nudeshower scene that adds nothing and Williams on the toilet lets you knowthe bloom is off the rose.Good use of music is a highlight, but it's the subtle performance byWilliams that makes this somewhat depressing movie work.

Markus Emilio Robinson

(2013-05-17 16:09:27)

Canadian Indie relationships are weird.

While the final half an hour touches on some interesting ideas aboutfulfilling relationships and true happiness, the fact that one mustfirst wade through an hour and a half of "on the nose" diatribes,scenes which time and time again overstay their welcome and an annoyingmain character that is far too unlikable to root for (or even watch forthat matter). From Sarah Polley, the very talented writer/director ofthe devastatingly beautiful "Away from Her", "Take This Waltz" is anequally ambitious (but not as well executed) story of a woman namedMargot (played by Michelle Williams) who one day finds that she isunhappy in her marriage (she is married to a guy named Lou played bySeth Rogen). So when she meets a neighbor (who, of course, couldn't bemore opposite of her husband) Margot begins to wonder if this new mancan fill the emptiness inside of her (no pun intended). Sounds like avery interesting female driven story, right? Well…it should have been,if not for a script that is so distractingly preachy and altogether amess. Cut and dry, "Take This Waltz" had the potential of being one thebest female perspective films to hit theaters in years, but insteadPolley produces a head shaker of a film that which audiences have seenmillions of times before.I can't say it enough; the script is the monumental flaw of "Take ThisWaltz", making most of the film unwatchable. Even when some of thescenes (mostly between Margot and the other man) do work, dialoguefilled with overbearingly pretentious metaphors and cringe inducingnon-sexual double entendres come along and bludgeon the audience intosubmission. Yes, I get it Sarah Polley; Seth Rogan's character onlycooks chicken and nothing else, so he must be boring, or when Margotsays she hates being in-between "things" when referencing an airplaneterminal, that it's a metaphor for her being afraid of being in-betweenrelationships! No need to verbally spell everything out for me over andover again, as if I'm a small child.And clearly the most hindering aspect of Polley's script is how themost irritating character and the main character, Margot, are one inthe same. For much of the film audiences will be forced to sit throughMargot's incoherent ramblings, incessant baby talk and questionableactions that will not only have many viewers questioning her sanity,but also annoy audiences to the point of disengaging with the storyitself. Polly has created a character that is clearly too Indie forcomfort and also (and I hate to say this) may come to be MichelleWilliams' worst character in her filmography. This fact, in particular,is even more astounding because every other character in the movie iswritten rather coherently and all of the other actors are rather goodin their roles, including Rogen who is better than I've ever seen himin any other film.Final Thought: Overall "Take This Waltz" is conceptually brilliant, butunfortunately suffers from ineffective execution in the hands of SarahPolley. If you wish to see a good adultery movie, go rent "Unfaithful",because "Take This Waltz", while is a nice attempt, is all and all anexistential disappointment and not worth a recommendation.Written by Markus Robinson, Edited by Nicole I. AshlandFollow me on Twitter @moviesmarkus

Mdln DeHond

(2013-05-17 08:48:12)

Could have been great....if Miranda July made it. Very pretentious.

I ♥ Rogen, ♥ Williams, but not feeling this pretentious movie.Unfortunately Williams and Rogen can't even save this film. They makean adorable on screen couple though. You can feel the voice of Polleyin the story, who I like as an actor but clearly not as a producer. Thepacing is off entirely. There is a lot of pompous dialogue -"Do youknow how much courage it takes to seduce you"- Really? Maybe in anattempt of adding poetry and depth? It just as aimless as flingingboiled spaghetti on a kitchen cabinet and it hangs there like ashriveled balloon. On the other hand it's full of clichés. You feel that this film is aiming for the film festival audience bypulling off a few run of the mill art-house tricks, making the moviefeel dishonest and artificial. Halfway you don't know if you have to beoffended or just disappointed for being underestimated like this.If I could rate this on two different scales, I'd rate the cast 8 andthe script and production 3.

writers_reign

(2013-05-16 21:40:05)

Polleyanna

I was enjoying this movie anyway when around reel #10 - in a year inwhich a group of International pseuds saw fit to vote Welles'masterpiece Citizen Kane into second place behind (of all things)Hitchcock's vastly overrated and pretentious pap Vertigo - writer-director Sarah Polley paid tribute to 'Kane' by offering a spin (punintended) on the breakfast scene from 'Kane', some seventy years afterWelles unveiled his innovation. Apart from that this is a fine film anyway you look at it and I for one would rather not look at it withoutMichelle Williams who really gets inside the character that Polley hasdevised. Of course there are flaws, not least the artist manque who canclearly make enough pulling a rickshaw through the streets of Torontoto fund a flat in a high-rent district, to say nothing of being able tospring for air fares. There are those who have questioned the career ofSeth Rogan (Williams' husband), finding an obvious metaphor in a manwho writes cookbooks exclusively about chicken dishes, i.e. chicken isone of the blandest of all dishes, Rogan devotes his life to ways ofmaking it interesting in a recipe yet fails to make himself interestingto his wife. With her previous movie, Away From Her, and now Take ThisWaltz Ms. Polley has shown herself to be a fine filmmaker, not perhapsas fine as Welles - but then who is - but certainly light years betterthan Hitchcock.

christinensbtt

(2013-05-16 15:57:12)

hauntingly real

This movie was hauntingly real--subtle in its slow approach to theclimax and it stays with you long after you have left the theater. Allof the actors are wonderful and capturing the nuances of theircharacters. Sarah Polley does it again. The story, set in Toronto,captures the everyday life of Margot and Lou--and depicts their specialrelationship through the details of their special ways ofcommunicating. It is not until the complexities of Margot's strugglebetween her love for Lou and her unyielding attraction to herneighbour, that you start to feel her personal struggle. The inevitableending does not disappoint. Highly recommended.

rgcustomer

(2013-05-16 03:59:46)

Take two aspirin...

OK it's not as bad as all that -- it is sort-of OK -- but I had to sayit. I'm probably not the first.This is basically a short film on infidelity, dragged out to a coupleof hours. It's not terrible, but it's also not good.The film has its good points, of course. I found the cinematography tobe great, for example. Particularly the shots in and around water werevery effective, and showcase the use of film to communicate withoutwords. But the fact that I'm noticing the cinematography first tellsyou that the story isn't really there.I thought the acting was believable. Everyone performed well in theirroles, as far as I can tell. Seth, Luke, and Michelle were good choicesfor the triangle. That said, I am confused about casting not just onebut two popular comedians against type. It made me question what I wassupposed to be seeing. I'm not sure I figured it out.For me I attribute the problems to editing and writing.The story didn't provide anyone for me to root for, identify with, oreven hate. I didn't really care for any of the characters. I like theseactors, but I found these characters annoying to varying degrees, butnot so annoying as to be detestable. I just didn't wish to spend anymore time with any of them than I had to. Perhaps if I could recognizein them any motivation for their actions (or lack thereof) it might bedifferent. I compare this with The Postman Always Rings Twice, whereunderstandable things happen, and lead to a more satisfying (but toopreachy-perfect) ending.The long silences here are not deep and meaningful. They're just long.I figure the film could be cut by half an hour, and not lose muchbeyond silence or small talk. In fact, even the end could be loppedoff. There were several points where I thought it was over, but it keptgoing. What's odd is that there are some scenes where randomhalf-second cuts are made, music-video-style, but real cuts to speed italong aren't made. I'm certain you could cut another hour or so andturn it into a really great short. There's nothing wrong with that, iftelling the story with emotion is the goal.The tie-in to Leonard Cohen's song seemed forced. I cringed. When Ithink about that scene, it feels to me like someone decided we needed acryptic song by a Canadian poet to name the film after. I don't feelthat any of the characters in the film are devoted Leonard Cohen fans.Overall, I wouldn't recommend this film, but neither would I say toavoid it. It will surely be on the The Movie Network (among others) inCanada, since they apparently helped pay for it. The best place to seeit is therefore probably cable or satellite.

AngiDas

(2013-05-14 22:08:48)

Seth Rogen As You Have Never Seen Him

It's a movie about love,lust,marriage,personal responsibilities andflaws. The surprise is Seth Rogen, who is know for being loud andbrass. Here he is a man of few words, but powerful ones know the less.He is stripped away of the normal gags he is normally know for andportrays probably someone much closer to the person he probably is inreal life. His interactions with his wife are the truest I have seen onscreen to date. It's always shocking to see a comedian loss thelaughing mask to reveal the scared,flawed person inside, but Seth doesit well and I could see him easily slipping into dramatic territory ashis career processes. I highly recommend it if you can watch people attheir most painful,raw and broken.

Jim Beller

(2013-05-14 12:14:35)

You May Make a Mistake if You Walk Out Half Way Through

I saw this movie at the Avalon Theater in Washington DC, which showsmany independent films. A couple sitting across the aisle left abouthalf way thru the movie and I could understand why. The first half isvery slow and I would have been with them, but my wife always has tosee a movie to the end. During the first half I was thinking the moviewould be, at best, a 3 out of 10.Watching the movie to conclusion was worth all the effort. However, Iwas left with a certain sadness for Margot (Michelle Williams) whoreally didn't know what she wanted, but knew there was somethingmissing in her life and her marriage to Lou (Seth Rogen). Unlike someother reviewers, I believe Seth did a very credible acting job.Sarah Silverman has been given praise for her work here. I'm a fan ofhers and she does do a good job. But the credit for her work must beshared with Sarah Polley who wrote her some of the best lines in themovie.I didn't particularly like Daniel (Luke Kirby) who in my opinion wasemotionless. As the neighbor who Margot develops a lust for, he hasmany smart lines and does only a credible job.Margot and Lou have been married for five years and the bloom isdefinitely off the rose. Although they are playful with each to try tocover for what's missing, they do not work together to make themarriage last. In fact, Lou is very happy with the way things are. Theydefinitely have a problem with the kind of communication necessary toidentify their problems and possible solutions.Margot needed to become involved with outside activities thatinterested her to make her life fuller. She had too much idle time tothink about what she was possibly missing.A survey years ago of people with second marriages showed that at leasta third said they should have worked harder to make their firstmarriage work. Margot should develop the capability to bring more totheir marriage.There is a sex scene late in the movie that was way over the top andwould have been better if it was reduced to a long passionate kiss.This movie is for serious movie buffs. I would not recommend it to thecasual movie goer.

Odwell Morose

(2013-05-10 23:38:28)

In-between of Things

'I'm afraid of being in-between of things.' That's a beautiful linequoted by Margo from a film called 'Take this waltz'. Attracted by thetitle which reminded me of Leonard Cohen's song which turned out to bethe same source at the first place, also the cast especially MichelleWilliams that I find quite special, special in a way that herappearance seems to be fragrant because of how she looks like. Isomehow believed that the character resembles a lot with her in reallife. We all know her divorced co-star husband Heath Ledger died of anoverdose accident, and they have a daughter named Mathilda. After hisdeath she somehow emerges into a characterized actress. You can see herplaying depressed wife, Marilyn Monroe, and this confused in-housefreelance writer not knowing what to write about. It's all very wellchosen with her characters. When I see the way she read out the lines,in a naturally performed way, there's a kind of magic and it must becoming from all what she experienced. Of course every actor's actingstyle comes from their own life and experience. Yet Michelle has thisvery sincere attitude of not disguising what went through in herspiritually and physically. Her nudity is not difficult to be found.Although a mother to daughter, her figure remains like a maid, pure andsimple. It seems like having a child brings her nothing but growth,growth of innocence and courage of showing the real self inside of her.The film involves a freelance writer Margo who married to a cookbookauthor and they enjoyed leisure house life on a Portugal region inToronto, Canada. The couple is happily engaged with their friends andnatives. Parties are thrown every now and then. They sometimes argue,but generally leading a sweet and contented marriage till sheencounters with a handsome guy at a tourism site. The magic connectiondrew on these two strangers. They both found each other very strangelyfamiliar. And right at the first conversation they felt natural enoughto joke each other and explain one's inner feelings. Together they makea couple of innocent child embarking on an intuitive sight of the worldsparkling only in their eyes. It's fun and haunting, especially whenit's found they're only neighbors across from street.Yet the thrill of encounter only keeps in a very cautious way, whichmakes it all the more alluring. They interact in an extremely explicitand intimate verbal way to displace physical attraction. Imaginarystroking, kissing and intercourse touched their mind with fulfilledexcitement. Every morning she followed him or vice versa to the beach,cafГѓВ©s and the swimming pool, where they swim like dolphins, gettingnear and dodging away. When he attempted to grab her ankle, the momentsuddenly halted and she just left like that. She felt like the spellwill be broken once the intimacy takes off to a further step. And she'sstill guarding herself from the fear of casting herself in thecraziness of love affair.

Malise

(2013-05-10 17:10:17)

fakey insight, relentless quirk, total failure

Ways to describe this movie: pretentious, tiresome, boring, annoying, awaste of michelle williams, sarah silverman and seth rogan's time andtalent, ridiculous, implausible, irritating, hipsterific, and off-the-scale on the insincere-o-meter.I am completely disgusted with the phoney, overwrought dialogue, thebizarre case of arrested development displayed by the main character (amarried woman of 28 acting and dressing like a 13-year-old with herfirst boyfriend), and the endless stream of quirky... crap.Sarah Polley's last writing/directing project was good, and theseactors are great, so why is this such a disaster? I definitely won't beas excited about seeing her next one...

moonspinner55

(2013-05-08 20:04:55)

The old grass-is-always-greener marriage predicament...well-realized, if lacking in snap

Bored with her marriage to a cookbook author--whom she is chummy with,but not passionate about--an emotionally-restless young woman findsherself guiltily attracted to the hunky artist who lives across thestreet. He represents reckless, sexual abandon to her, but will shetrade a good thing in for something better? Writer-director SarahPolley has managed to gain the trust of her leading actors (MichelleWilliams, Seth Rogen and Luke Kirby) with a mere sketch of a script,one in which the characters are never fully formed or convincing to us.That said, there are intriguing passages here, and a frank,matter-of-fact view of intimacy that is disarming. Polley's laying ofthe groundwork for this story is admirably careful and neat, but herrhythm is a little slow and soft, which may turn viewers off before themovie takes shape. Williams, playing a woman-child given to bursts ofmelancholia, is only really appealing when she shakes off the doldrums,and this takes some time. The film is thoughtfully composed andattractive, but what is the message at the end...that cohabitation isthe death knell for modern romance? **1/2 from ****

Mitch_Rockwell

(2013-05-08 05:28:59)

Remarkably human.

After stunning the film world with her Oscar-nominatedwriting/directing debut Away From Her, Sarah Polley has made her returnbehind the camera with this year's Take This Waltz. Taking place inToronto, Waltz is a rumination on themes of infidelity, melancholy andthe general state of ennui that can come to a person who feels stalledin their '20s. In an age often described as the prime of life, 28-yearold Margot is in a kind, loving marriage with Lou (Seth Rogen). On aplane trip home she runs into Daniel (Luke Kirby) and strikes up a cuteflirtation with him, which is made unsettling by the realization thathe has recently moved in directly across the street from her. It's acontrived premise, but Polley is wise to quickly move away from thatset up and begin her focus on the study of Margot and her internalconflict.Margot is a woman who knows that she loves her husband and he lovesher; they play cute little games every day and live a safe, quiet lifetogether. However, she finds herself constantly tempted by the newfruit within an arm's reach and struggles to fight this desire of hers.Anyone who has followed the careers of Sarah Polley and MichelleWilliams would know instantly that these two teaming up couldn't bemore appropriate. Polley never received the level of attention that shedeserved as an actress, but her deep and touchingly human performancesin films like My Life Without Me and The Secret Life of Words are thekinds of roles that you could easily see Williams taking on at thisstage in her career. They have a similar desire to tackle genuinestories about women, with all of the flaws and heartache that can comewith them.Polley has never been one to hide from tough subjects and I'm sure formany they would find Take This Waltz a frustrating viewing; why shouldwe care about a protagonist who is considering cheating on her husband?A potentially valid question, but Polley quickly establishes Margot asa fully-fleshed out human being and Williams follows suit by making herfeel whole. Everyone is flawed and Margot's flaws extend to her desirefor something new, as Waltz becomes about much more than just a womanwho may want something outside of her marriage. Margot's state ofdiscontent isn't restricted simply to her marriage; she feels lost ineverything, and doesn't know what she needs in order to overcome it. Atone point in the film, she tells Daniel that, "Sometimes I'm walkingdown the street, and the shaft of sunlight falls in a certain wayacross the pavement, and I just want to cry. And then a second later,it's over. And I decide, because I'm an adult, to not succumb to themomentary melancholy." This is a line that speaks for Margot's state throughout the entirefilm. Her "momentary melancholy" seems to extend through her entireday-to-day life. Through every moment of playfulness with Lou she stillremains not entirely at bliss with her life, and Daniel comes along asa charming young man who tempts her to stray in the hopes of findingthat thing that is going to make her happy finally. Margot, at hercore, is a good person and Williams at times lights up the screen withher natural charm and beauty, making it practically impossible to notsympathize with her or want her to be happy. Take This Waltz is therare film that doesn't have a bad guy at all. Margot and Lou's marriageisn't an unhappy one; he doesn't beat her, they don't fight anymorethan any other couple does, there is just something missing. She'sgotten so comfortable with not moving anywhere and it leaves herfeeling lost and partially empty.Williams captures every ounce of Margot that Polley presents to her,from that tragic ennui to the beauty that she can be capable of seeingwhen her fears are able to wash away. There's a scene where Margot andDaniel go for an amusement ride, which turns the lights low and playsloud music. As she describes it to Daniel, you can see her face lightup at the prospect of going somewhere that makes it impossible to thinkor worry about life or any of it's many temptations. During the sceneshe begins to let herself loose, enjoying this moment of peace withouta care in the world. It ends abruptly, as the lights come back on andthe music stops and in Williams' changed expression you can see howmuch it hurts Margot to be back in this world with all of the problemsthat anyone of her age (or any age, really) has to face.Take This Waltz is a magnificent achievement from everyone involved,not the least of which being a magnificent work from Michelle Williams.As told by Polley, it's a moving and incredibly true exploration intoan aspect of life that is rarely explored. Polley's approach lacks thekind of dramatic punch that one often finds in films dealing with thesubject of adultery. There's no erotic lighting, no sweaty bodiescrashing into one another, and no shouting matches between splinteredlovers. She removes it of all the typical bells and whistles that couldmake something like this appeal to a mainstream Hollywood audience andinstead creates a soft, touching and remarkably human film. It'ssomething that deserves to be admired.

kristel-va

(2013-05-06 14:42:26)

lacking emotions and depth

Unfortunately it did not work for me at all. It had a nice promise tostart with. A promise of a good movie about strong emotions, but that'sjust what it lacked: emotions. The director made to much an effort tomake things look so beautiful that the story was forgotten. A shamereally. Could have done without the exuberant xxx-scenes nearly at theend of the movie. However, that did the trick of making MichelleWilliams personage look really empty. I liked how she fell into thesame routine with the other guy. She was so shallow and so in search ofsomething she would never find, so immature also for being athirty-something. But that was fine by me. I know immaturethirty-somethings who will probably never grow up. I kind of wonderedif she knew at the end that being alone and reflecting on your life isnot such a bad thing.The only part I really enjoyed was both "video killed the radiostar"scenes, because I forgot just how great that song was.

David Ferguson

(2013-05-06 09:06:10)

Tastes Like Chicken

Greetings again from the darkness. We have watched Sarah Polley grow upon screen. She began as a 6 year old child actress and evolved into anindie film favorite. Now, she is finding her true voice as a filmdirector ... and what a unique voice it is. In Away from Her (2009),she told the heartbreaking story of a husband's struggle with losinghis beloved wife to Alzheimer's Disease. Now we get the story ofMargot, who just can't seem to find happiness or fulfillment within thestability of marriage.Margot is played exceedingly well by Michelle Williams. I would saythat without the casting of Ms. Williams, this film would probably nothave worked. There is something about her that prevents us from turningon her character when she veers from her loyal, if a bit lacking inpassion, husband Lou (played by Seth Rogen). Williams and Rogen havethe little things that a marriage needs ... a language until itself andthe comfort of consistency. What Margot misses is the magic. She thinksshe finds that in her neighbor Daniel, a rickshaw driver played by LukeKirby. Daniel is the kind of guy that every guy inherently knows not totrust, yet women somehow fall for. He is a subtle and slow seducer. Thekind that make it seem like everything is innocent ... right up untilit isn't.Margot has that most annoying of spousal traits: she expects everydayto be Disneyland. The best scene in the movie occurs when Lou's sister(a terrific Sarah Silverman) confronts Margot and tells her that lifehas a gap and that you will go crazy trying to fill it. It's awonderfully insightful line from writer/director Polley. Of course, weunderstand that this is Margot's nature and she learns that sometimesbroken things can't be fixed.Another great scene occurs in the women's locker room after wateraerobics. There is a juxtaposition between generations of older womenand younger ones. We see the differences not only in physical bodies,but in the wisdom that comes with age. More brilliance from the script.The one scene that I thought crossed the line was the "martini" scene.I found it tasteless, vulgar and far more extreme than what was calledfor at the time. But that's a small complaint for an otherwise stellarscript.As terrific as Ms. Williams and Ms. Silverman are, I found Seth Rogento be miscast and quite unbelievable as a focused cookbook writing guywho has pretty simple, yet quietly deep thoughts about how a marriageshould work. Again, this didn't ruin the film for me, but I did findhim distracting and quite an odd choice.It's filmmakers like Sarah Polley that keep the movie businessevolving. Her viewpoint and thoughts are unique and inspirational, andshould lead to a long career as a meaningful writer/director. Oh, andthe use of Leonard Cohen's "Take this Waltz" song fit right in over thecredits.

estebangonzalez10

(2013-05-02 19:28:12)

Worst film of 2012 so far

¨Life has a gap in it, it just does. You don't go crazy trying to fillit.¨ Thanks to Take this Waltz, I've found my worse film of 2012 sofar. This is a movie that looked extremely good in the trailers, butdidn't work at all for me as a film. The movie had some beautifulshots, the scenery was incredible, there were some strong performancesas well, but the story just didn't work for me and it never feltbelievable for one moment. Just because this film manages to break allthe romantic genre conventions doesn't mean that it's going to be good.I never felt the chemistry between any of the characters, andeverything just seemed forced. This is Sarah Polley's second featurefilm after her successful 2006 movie, Away From Her, which won severalawards and also received two Oscar nominations (one for Polley as ascreenwriter and another for Julie Christie's leading performance).Polley also wrote the depressive screenplay for Take this Waltz where amarried woman struggles to remain faithful to her husband after meetinga very attractive young man who just happens to live in the road acrossfrom them. Michelle William's character really had several issues and Ijust found her behavior extremely rare. Her relationship with herhusband was more of a playful friendship than anything else. I don'tknow what her neighbor found interesting in her as she behavedawkwardly all the time. I found this movie hard to follow as I couldn'tconnect, sympathize, or relate with any of the characters. The entiremovie just dragged for an entire two hours and if it wasn't for somebeautiful photography I would've hated this movie even more.Margot (Michelle Williams) is a writer who is on a trip working on herassignment when she meets an artist named Daniel (Luke Kirby). Both ofthem happen to share seats in the airplane flight back home to Torontoand sparks seem to fly between them. Coincidentally when they arriveand share a taxi together they realize that they live across the streetfrom each other. Margot tells Luke that she's married and they saytheir goodbyes. Margot enters her home and we are introduced to herhusband, Lou (Seth Rogen), who is a loving and friendly husband. He isa cook and is working on a cookbook with different chicken recipes. Louand Margot's relationship is strange however, Margot is distance attimes and acts like a teenager. Both of them are very playful, but sheseems to have some sort of psychological disorder. Margot beginsfeeling like something is missing in her life and begins spending moretime with Daniel as she feels physically attracted to him. She beginsto feel conflicted and guilty because she realizes this and doesn'twant to cheat on her husband. This pretty much summarizes a plot wherealmost nothing else happens outside of Margot's world and the tensionshe faces between choosing to stay with Lou or giving in to herfeelings towards Daniel.I was really looking forward to this film because the trailer seemedreally interesting and the critics have been praising this film, but Iwas really disappointed with the way things turned out. I did not likethe story at all, and felt Michelle Williams's character was annoying.It was painful to watch her at times. I did not feel the chemistrybetween her and Luke Kirby at all, everything felt forced. I must saySeth Rogen is probably the best in this film and it was interesting tosee him in a dramatic role. Sarah Silverman also has a supportive rolein this film, and her character is way more interesting thanMichelle's. Too bad Polley didn't decide to make the story revolvearound her instead. The only positive thing I can say about Take thisWaltz is that it has some beautiful shots, the photography was great,and the soundtrack was actually really good, but the rest of the moviefailed tremendously. This is the worst film I've seen this year andwouldn't recommend it to anyone.http://estebueno10.blogspot.com

anniewest0

(2013-05-02 07:40:38)

False, false, false

As a fan of Michelle Williams and Seth Rogen (who I think could one daybe a great serious actor) I really really wanted to like this film,which is why I fought to get a ticket at TIFF. Sadly the movie is flat,ugly to look at, and there are very few moments which feel real. To befrank, it all felt like a precious acting exercise. Luke Kirby'scharacter, a sexy rickshaw driver (!?!), felt as false and fake asanything Michael Bay would come up with. And the writing was awful,full of groan-worthy lines and moments which strive to be poetic butcome up way short. I think Sarah Polley could be a good director oneday but maybe she needs the crutch of an Alice Munro story to help herget over her own plot weaknesses...because this movie just doesn't workon almost any level. I will say that I liked (didn't love) MichelleWilliams, and even though this is one of her less exciting performancesshe remains one of the most watchable, subtle, and cool actresses ofher generation. What Sarah Polley could have been if she had the gutsto stretch herself out of her"just-stare-at-the-camera-and-blink-meaningfully" performance-rut she'sbeen in over the last decade. Bonus star for Sarah Silverman. Gottalove her. Hope to see her star in something one day.

clarne

(2013-05-01 17:25:18)

"New things gets old as well"

Sometimes a movie has numerous flaws, yet contains a message, and heartthat transcends the usual parameters in which we judge a film, "Takethis waltz" is such a film. nauseating dialog, awkward characterchoices, and sometimes plain bad scenes does, in the long run notweaken the overall impression of having witnessed something trulyspecial. Unfortunately, it does frustrate and weaken the experience,but the movie packs a punch and keeps on swinging all the way to theend.The drama, with a (as usual) great Michelle Williams at the center of athree way-romance where she is torn between her lovable,chicken-obsessed husband and the new, exciting artist next door givesus an experience where the classic movie scenario of "married girl metsnew boy, splits from husband and lives happily ever after" is servedwith a twist. Here, The marriage between Williams and Rogen is shown asa stable, warm, healthy and the new romance, while exciting never seemslike the obvious choice. This balance is maintained due to the actors, who really keeps the attimes faltering script on its feet through some of the most heartfeltacting I've seen this year. Especially Rogen, whom I've never seen insuch a role shines as the husband, and you really feel for the guy.Sarah Silverman gives us an interesting parallel to the Williams-character as the ex-alcoholic sister of Rogen. The "out of control onthe outside" in contrast to the "out of control on the inside"-Williamsworks out well, and the skilled comedian adds humor as well.Polley has taken on a major task with this project, which she's bothwritten, directed and co-produced. Unfortunately you feel she has gonea bridge to far with this one. The script, while filled with someincredible, quiet sequences suffers many times when the characters dospeak. One cannot get away from the feeling that she perhaps could havegained a lot with some help from a script doctor. This does not takeaway from the fabulous way it actually dares to challenge theconventions of a movie, and some sequences which at times feel likeparodies are given depth when the movie's strong climax pulls all thestrings together, and gives the viewer an end that at best seemsbittersweet for all parties.The movie is an old story in a new package, and is one of the mostinteresting movies that you'll see this year.

jakobstrunk

(2013-05-01 09:46:11)

It's no tango...

Margot (Michelle Williams) is a writer for travel and amusementbrochures. She meets Daniel (Luke Kirby) at a medieval-era recreationsite. There is sexual tension from the start as he encourages her towhip (harder!) a shackled "prisoner" at a staged public humiliation.As fate (or, the screenplay) would have it, they share an airplane row,a taxi cab, and a street address back home in Toronto. It's not untilthe moment their cab reaches her house that the flirting ends andMargot informs Daniel, suddenly and reluctantly, of her 5 yearmatrimony to Lou (Seth Rogen). As she watches him enter his house(literally across the street) she lets out a deep sigh. She can see thewhole story to come, and knows how it will end.Because, that is just the type of person Margot is. Devoid of anydirection, dependent on sex-as-self esteem, and unconcerned with thelives and needs of others around her. We can all be like that,sometimes, however.Her relationship with Lou is chummy. They play pranks on each other,wrestle, and express love with statements of hyperbolic violence ("Ijust got a new melon-baller and want to gouge your eyes out"). Shewants passionate sex free of baby-talk, but he seems uninterested orunable. They're very settled in. He writes cook books and hasmouthwatering chicken dishes in the oven every night. He's a decentman, treats her great and obviously loves her.She makes a point of seeing Daniel, who paints well and pulls arickshaw for money (judging by his apartment, he apparently makes anabsolute killing) She starts leaving the house at the same time hedoes. He appears at her pool aerobics. They end up at a bar. He talksdirty to her. She's into it, but always leaves suddenly before anythingphysical can occur. She can't cheat. At least, not while she and Louare together. She'll see what she can do about that.Michele Williams is a superb actress. Some deep emotions and stickythemes manage to creep up from the shallow surface, but overall thetone is overly serious, petty and slight, much like the character ofMargot herself.

BrianLlywd

(2013-04-30 18:20:21)

Take this film...not

Last year we finished TIFF with "Last Night" a poorly done,anti-romance about betrayal and infidelity. This year we started with"Take This Waltz", apparently Sarah Polley's tribute to last year's"Last Night". Both are insults to philandery. Sarah Polley has developed a bit of reputation for being an upstart andedgy; this picture, think upchuck and edging on ridiculous. A boringhusband (Seth Rogan), an innocent child-like wife and an irresistiblerickshaw driver, cum cad & stalker who can afford an apartment andregular trips to Cape Breton (at Air Canada rates only affordable bygovernment bureaucrats).Please. Sarah Silverman offered promise on the big screen but sadly, hercharacterization of a recovering alcoholic was so shallow that, at theend, she couldn't even play a drunk. But it's not her fault. There are two reasons why this film fails so badly. One is story; thereis almost none. The second is direction; there's no evidence of thecast being driven to play their roles well. I have to think that Polley is the beneficiary of a desire by theCanadian film industry to build a star system in behind the camera. Idoubt that this film would have been financed, made and screened atTIFF without a little insider trading of sorts. WARNING - there are several explicit sex scenes near the end thatappear out of nowhere and are no better acted or more interesting thanthe rest of the picture.

jaguiar313

(2013-04-30 15:26:07)

Refreshing indie film about the pursuit of love and happiness.

One of my favorite things about this charming indie drama was that Ireally enjoyed was just how real the relationships in the film cameacross. Writer/director Sarah Polley creates a freshness and realnessto this story of a happy young married couple Margo (Michelle Williams)and Lou (Seth Rogen) whose happy life is challenged when Margo meetsand falls for neighbor and artist, Daniel (Luke Kirby). Margo thoughtshe had what she wanted but, the free spirited Luke makes here questionwhether she is really happy with Lou or just thinks she's happy. As Loubecomes focused on writing a cookbook, Margo begins to explore what shereally wants... or is it. And that's the thing that I felt was so realabout this charming little movie. Margo's answers are never clear as inlife they sometimes aren't. Are were really happy or just convincingourselves to settle for what we have? Is it human nature to alwaysthink there is something better for us out there and thus were neverare truly content or happy? These are true life questions and questionswe ask ourselves as we watch Margo pursue a course which could cost hereverything. And, of course there is the age old question, of the grassalways appearing greener. I really enjoyed how director Polley gave thefilm a very refreshing style and really made the characters seem likereal people. They all have their little quirks and habits and they makedecisions based on emotions and are sometimes selfish and not carefulabout hurting those around them. And, they don't always know what theyreally want. The performances are strong across the board with MichelleWilliams giving another great characterization of the almost childlikeMargo, whose very likable despite her selfish pursuits. Seth Rogensurprises as Lou a man who obviously loves Margo but, has his own goalsand is a little too focused on such to notice his wife is troubled.Luke Kirby is good as the artist Daniel who, much like Margo, decidesto selfishly pursue their attraction despite knowing she is married.Round out the cast as Lou's sarcastic alcoholic sister, Geraldine is aperfectly cast Sarah Silverman. All in all this is a refreshinglyun-Hollywood indie that takes a look at real people with real emotionsmaking real and sometimes selfish and stupid decisions. Something weare all guilty of and that's why we can identify with these people andhow love or, what we think is love, can be such a confusing factor inour lives. And, most of all, is there such a thing as true happiness oris it an illusion we create ourselves?