Take This Waltz - B

Rated R, 116 minutes

"Take This Waltz" affecting tale of love, choices

Seth Rogen and Michelle Williams

We all have choices in life. What to eat. Where to work. And who to love, which is explored in the well-acted, overlong and bittersweet dramedy "Take This Waltz," from director/actress Sarah Polley ("Away from Her"). Oscar-nominee Michelle Williams ("My Week With Marilyn") is Margot, a late twenty-something freelance writer who lives a quirky life in a beautiful old home in Toronto with her cookbook-writing husband of five years, Lou (Seth Rogen). Margot begins to examine her life with Lou after she meets hipster artist and rickshaw driver Daniel (Luke Kirby), with whom she shares an instant, genuine attraction. Given how handsome Kirby is and Rogen's penchant for annoying, immature comedy, this choice might be too obvious, though with Polley's assured direction and handling of human emotion, it's more complex than expected. "Take This Waltz" is a poignant yet uneven tale of the romantic choices we must make that works best in its first half as the film explores the unrequited love between Williams and Kirby and the unconventional husband-wife communication between Williams and Rogen. The second half goes on too long and Margot's motivations seem too shallow (sex over stability wins out here). There's some unnecessary controversy with the film as well, with a couple of nonsexual scenes of total frontal female nudity (in a shower); those scenes don't further the narrative and could've easily been excised. Williams' palpable, strong turn as the wife torn between two good men centers the film well; if this film were released closer to awards time she could easily snag another Oscar nomination. Of the men, Rogen, in a less effusive and more mature role, is actually the more likable of the two, but Canadian actor Kirby, who should play me if ever a film is made about my life, is more dashing. Polley should direct more films, her skilled direction and writing serves her well, not to mention she has a good ear for tunes in the eclectic soundtrack, including good use of the '80s song "Video Killed the Radio Star" by The Buggles. Definitely worth a look, particularly for another stellar Michelle Williams performance.

Grade: B
by Wes Singleton