On Away From Her

Some savant decided to give this film away with copies of the Sunday Times (I think it was) the other day. A film about pensioners losing their marbles isn't the first thing that springs to mind regarding Friday night, but we were exhausted and we've watched our way through our dvd selection-several times. And what we found ourselves watching was a simple, exquisite portrait of true love. Its about being human; about our weakness and our bravery. I've often recalled that moment in our lawyer's office, before we drew up our ante-nuptial agreement, when he said to us, in his inimitably brusque way, "All marriages end. Its either death or divorce." It made me falter, and my eyes stung. What bizarre trick of the light makes us desire to walk along a path with the person we adore, knowing that in the end we shall be forced to watch them rot and wither, if we haven't already endured the pain of agreeing to pluck ourselves out by the roots and limp away? What funny creatures we are. So, this film wasn't an easy evening in. But a glorious one, all the same. Sarah Polley is a director with a delicate but unflinching gaze. Mamma Mia, a film so silly we couldn't stomach more than a third of it, eagerly rakes in millions. And a film like Away From Her, about hope and despair and discovering and love and dignity, they have to give away with the Sunday papers.