Take This Waltz

Sarah Polly’s second feature is an unexpected love story about fidelity and trying to make the right choices in our contemporary culture, where “the right choice” means what’s right for one’s own heart. The film expertly explores this very modern freedom/conflict theme through characters that range from fresh and credible, if not entirely likeable, to just a hair too cliché for comfort. Still, despite the few heavy-handed and contrived elements, the film has a raw and honest quality that I appreciate. The cast, especially Michelle Williams and Seth Rogan playing a married couple that must deal with William’s attraction to their new neighbour, shines in unexpected and delightful ways.  As a big fan of Leonard Cohen, I wholeheartedly endorse Polly's adroit use of his song, both as a title and in an effecting montage that Cohen would surely appreciate.