TAKE THIS WALTZ (M) takes its title from the Leonard Cohen song, which itself was taken from Lorca. It is not, however, some slavish cinematic illustration of the lyrics, rather a thematically entwined rumination of romantic love.
Margot, played by the marvellous Michelle Williams is married to Lou, played by the equally swell Seth Rogen. They have a happy marriage in a kind of goofy juvenile way with childish games and baby talk keeping their selves orbiting within their universe of two.
Then a comet in the form of Daniel enters their atmosphere, and he collides with Lou’s bride, giving her a terrible thrill. Daniel is an artist that has moved in across the street from the couple and uses his fee to make ends meet as a rickshaw driver.
TAKE THIS WALTZ is Sarah Polley’s follow up film to her feature debut AWAY FROM HER and makes a startling companion piece. The former film was about an enduring relationship that hits the rocks of dementia. The latter concerns a five year old marriage that has become moribund to the monotony of matrimony; the emotional amnesia that comes with complacency has settled in.
Lou especially is satisfied with the state of the marriage, a homely type who writes recipe books for a living and comes from a large family whose wholesomeness is only worried by a sister struggling to stay sober, a sensational support starrer by Sarah Silverman.
Sarah Polley has taken this waltz -TAKE THIS WALTZ – take this waltz/ Take its broken waist in your hand/ with a garland of freshly cut tears/ Ay, Ay, Ay, Ay, Take this waltz/ take this waltz /Take this waltz/it’s been dying for years – and danced it to the end of love.
If Leonard Cohen was a film maker rather than a poet, this is what we’d expect.
© Richard Cotter
12th June, 2012
Tags: Sydney Movie Reviews- TAKE THIS WALTZ, Movie Of The Week, Sarah Polley, Leonard Cohen, Michele Williams, Seth Rogen, Sarah Silverman, Sydney Arts Guide, Richard Cotter.
