Heads Up: Take This Waltz
'Flat-out sexy', it says here. 'An intelligent perceptive rom-com'
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Your support makes all the difference.What are we talking about? A new film by the Canadian actress, writer and filmmaker Sarah Polley, telling the story of a happily married woman who starts to fall for her neighbour.
Elevator pitch Ditch the cliché, take the waltz.
Prime movers Polley, best known for her Oscar-nominated directorial debut, Away From Her, wrote, directed, and co-produced the film with Susan Cavan.
The stars The cast includes My Week with Marilyn star Michelle Williams and Judd Apatow regular Seth Rogen, who play the happily married Margot and Lou. Newcomer Luke Kirby is Daniel, the artistic neighbour threatening to break them up, and acid-tongued American comedian Sarah Silverman is Lou's alcoholic sister, Geraldine.
The early buzz Justin Chang, writing in Variety, said that the film was, "… flat-out sexy. An intelligent, perceptive drama with superb performances by Michelle Williams and Seth Rogen, in a wonderfully affectionate, possibly career-best turn." Christy Lemire, in the Huffington Post, wrote that, "Take This Waltz is a sensory experience, including a tour de force, circular shot around a room which seamlessly depicts the passage of time. But it's always grounded – it's always about real people making real decisions, for better or worse."
Insider knowledge Silverman has confirmed rumours of a nude scene, saying, "I go totally naked. Full frontal. It's so not pretty." Judging by web buzz, this is not going to harm the film's chances – even if the whole point is that it's normal, non-sexualised, everyday nudity.
It's great that… it's not a typical rom-com, and has been celebrated by reviewers for taking a realistic approach to matters of the heart, while Polley herself said she "wanted this film to be based around someone who was fundamentally flawed".
It's a shame that… even indie rom-coms aren't immune to the wildly implausible: Margot and Daniel sit next to each other on a plane, sparks fly, then discover they live across the road from each other – like, no way!
Hit potential Likely to be lapped up by the indie movie crowd, but that may not be enough. The key to the film's success will be whether Take This Waltz can snare the Jennifer Aniston rom-com audience, or the Apatow bromance pound.
The details Take This Waltz will be in UK cinemas from 17 August.
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