6.3 | / 10 |
Users | 3.5 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 3.9 |
A happily married woman falls for the artist who lives across the street.
Starring: Michelle Williams, Seth Rogen, Luke Kirby, Sarah Silverman, Aaron AbramsDrama | 100% |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English SDH, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (C untested)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Canadian indie queen actress Sarah Polley made her directorial debut in 2006 with the quietly powerful Away From Her, about the dementia- induced dissolution of a retired couple's marriage. For her followup, Take This Waltz, she once again examines how marital bonds can be weakened by one partner's mental state; in this case, a young wife's grass-is-always-greener complex, which leads her to stray into her literal neighbor's yard. And by "yard," I figuratively mean bed. But this doesn't happen all at once. Polley's nuanced and intelligent script is a slow tease that achingly portrays the seductive nature of affairs. This is a very adult film, not in being particularly explicit—which it occasionally is—but in its clear-eyed honesty about how messy and complicated our emotional lives can be. It's characters are all well-intentioned. They're likable. There's no clear "bad guy" here. And yet, in pursuing their desires, they each make hurtful, future-altering decisions that can never be reversed. Take This Waltz stirs up a lot of feeling in the mature acknowledgement that choices have unforeseen consequences, and that the want for more—more excitement, more safety, more passion—is often inescapable and contradictory. Watch it with your S.O., but be prepared for the film to stimulate some post-viewing discussion.
The first thing you'll notice about the picture here is that sometimes it's very realistic-looking, while elsewhere the tonal grading features candy-colored oversaturation. Skies go a Sweet Tarts blue. Reds are pushed to cherry. Sunlight streams in intense yellows. Pool water becomes an almost ridiculous turquoise. According to an interview with Sarah Polley in the making-of documentary, this is highly intentional—it seems to reflect the sensory overload of falling in love—but it's also distractingly unnatural at times, and I think a more consistent, tempered approach would've worked better. In all other respects, though, this is a great 1080p/AVC-encoded Blu-ray presentation. Take This Waltz was shot digitally using the Panavision Genesis high definition camera, resulting in crisp, clean footage that's nearly noiseless in all but the darkest scenes. There's simply no need for heavy DNR or edge enhancement. If you can get past the sometimes too vivid palette, color pops with strong density—no wishy-washy-ness here—and the slightly ramped up contrast carves out a very dimensional image. The picture is consistently sharp as well, with fine detail resolving nicely in closeups and even many longer shots. I didn't spot any noticeable compression or encode issues—everything looks, for better or worse, just as intended.
Take This Waltz swings onto Blu-ray with a lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track that's surprisingly engaging for what's essentially a low-key, talky indie romance. The difference here is that it's clear someone paid close attention to the sound design, filling just about every scene with the appropriate ambience and spreading it throughout all 5.1 channels. The rear speakers frequently come alive with activity, from outdoorsy noises like wind and insects and seagull cries, to the neighborhood clamor of sprinklers and light traffic. It all sounds clear and grounded and realistic. The onscreen drama is paired with a wonderful score by Jonathan Goldsmith, who utilizes lots of atypical instrumentation—quiet tones and chimes. The film also makes great use of "Video Killed the Radio Star," by The Buggles. Dialogue is consistently clean and comprehensible throughout, and the disc includes optional English SDH and Spanish subtitles for those who might need or want them.
Take This Waltz, Sarah Polley's second film as a writer/director, is a poignant exercise in the psychology of desire. It's rare to see a film that deals so honestly with the complexity of adult relationships, particularly the I'm in love with two people for totally different reasons and I don't know what to do conundrum. Michelle Williams, as usual, gives a nuanced and moving performance—weird and sweet and anxious and real—but more surprising is Seth Rogen in his most vulnerable, serious role yet. I can't say this would make a great date movie, but it's certainly a discussion starter for couples in longterm relationships. (Take that how you will.) The Blu-ray tech specs are fine—and the making-of doc in the special features is worthwhile—so if you're interested, I see no reason not to pick this one up. Recommended for anyone who just can't help falling in love.
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