Away from Her (2006)

Directed by: Sarah Polley | 110 minutes | drama, romance | Actors: Gordon Pinsent, Stacey LaBerge, Julie Christie, Olympia Dukakis, Deanna Dezmari, Clare Coulter, Thomas Hauff, Alberta Watson, Grace Lynn Kung, Lili Francks, Andrew Moodie, Wendy Crewson, Judy Sinclair, Tom Harvey, Carolyn Heatherington, Melanie Merkosky Kristen Thomson, Jessica Booker, Janet van de Graaf, Michael Murphy, Vanessa Vaughan, Catherine Fitch, Ron Hewat, Jason Knight, Nina Dobrev, Nancy EL Ward

Once upon a time there was a man named Grant. This man was madly in love with Fiona. When Fiona proposes to get married one day, he calls out wholeheartedly: Yes! Because he wants nothing more than to spend the rest of his life with her. This sounds like a fairy tale, but did they really live happily ever after? After forty-four years, a terrible illness puts an end to their happiness. That’s when ‘Away from Her’ begins.

Fiona becomes forgetful. This gets worse and worse and the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s is made. Fiona wants to be admitted to a clinic because she thinks they can take better care of her there. Grant is actually against this and as a viewer you go with him in this. Is it as bad as it seems? They love each other so much, is it really necessary for her to be included? When Fiona enters the clinic, she is not allowed to receive visitors for 30 days. Grant and Fiona have never been apart for long, so it’s hard for them to say goodbye. The scene where they say goodbye is one of the most beautiful scenes in the film. Grant says goodbye to his wife for a month but Fiona says goodbye to her husband for good. And she turns out to be right in the end. When Grant is finally allowed to visit her again, Fiona doesn’t seem to recognize him anymore. Or is she just pretending to take revenge for the past? Julie Christie plays the part of Fiona very convincingly, and her grief and confusion stirs both pity and doubt.

That love can really be unconditional proves ‘Away from Her’ or rather; Julie Christie and Gordon Pinsent prove that as Fiona and Grant carry the film as. Not much is needed for this movie. A beautifully written story that is simple and recognizable. A good director who can work this out on screen and two actors who can act from their heart without the help of special sets or special effects. It seems a miracle that a simple yet effective short story by author Alice Munro (“The Bear Came over the Mountain”) can be turned into such a romantic, compelling and emotional film. But Sarah Polley has managed to bring this miracle to the silver screen.