Monday, December 17, 2007

Away From Her - 4 Stars

I have been neglecting my Netflix subscription this month, I'm sorry but there is just too much to do. Before I left for the Holidays though I wanted to watch and return at least one of the two movies I had been harboring in my apartment for a month. So I finally watched Away From Her.

Away from Her is the story of Grant and Fiona, a couple that has been married for 44 years and has been through life's ups and downs. One day Fiona goes out cross country skiing and gets lost forcing the couple to face the reality that she has Alzheimer's Disease. They ultimately decide that Fiona must enter a facility. The facility has a no-visitor for 30 days policy and thus Grant is left to fill his days and wait until he can see Fiona again. When he first visits Fiona he finds that not only does she not know who he is but she has a "boyfriend."

I know, I know, this sounds incredibly depressing and you're wondering why I even rented it in the first place. I have a soft spot in my heart for movies about married couples that have to face difficulties. They give you a different perspective and appreciation of marriage, relationships and the life that you have now and make you realize that they may not always be so. I saw a preview for this during another movie and decided on the spot I had to see it. Plus, it stars Julie Christie!

Yes, this movie was sad, and I cried through a good portion of it, imagining myself having to face the facts they were facing or making the decisions they were making, it was heart-wrenching at times. But it was also a sweet portrayl of love and how no relationship is picture perfect, but non-perfect love is truly something special. I thought the whole movie well done, and while many people my age probably won't be running out to rent this movie anytime soon, maybe someday they will.

4 Stars!

No comments: