“Ms. Polley, as a writer, a director of actors and a constructor of images, excels at managing the idiosyncrasies and contradictions of her characters so that our knowledge of them is both intimate and mined with potential surprise.” A O Scott, New York Times
After her moving 2006 directorial debut Away From Her, Sarah Polley returns with this sensitive study of a woman in crisis. Following a chance meeting, married Margot (Michelle Williams) develops an obsession with Daniel (Luke Kirby), a struggling artist and rickshaw driver who also happens to live at the end of her street. Unsure whether to risk everything, including an apparently happy marriage with loveable chef Lou (Seth Rogen), Margot struggles with her feelings and the attentions of Daniel as her life and everything she has built slowly unravels.
Supported by Michelle Williams’ excellent vulnerability – and casting both Rogen and Sarah Silverman against type – Take This Waltz displays an astute understanding of the frustrations in even the happiest of relationships – and the heady attractions of falling in love.
Director Sarah Polley on Michelle Williams’ performance: “I think it’s a very, very tricky tightrope walk to play that character and not go extremely one way or the other. What I find fascinating about this film is that people really project their own relationship history onto it. So there are people who are like, “I loved Margot! Finally somebody made a film that I can relate to” and other people are like, “I just wanted to kill her, she’s so selfish.” I’m so thrilled by that because I feel like people are projecting their own lives onto the film and feeling passionate and somehow supporting their point of view. Even what she does at the end — there are some people who have judged it so intensely. It makes me so happy to know that people are that invested in the film.”
To learn more, click here for the rest of the interview with actor/writer/director Polley.
