Away from Her

Away from Her (Sarah Polley, Canada, 2007) ★★★★

When the partner you spent almost the entire life with suddenly doesn’t recollect you, it would be like an impact that the whole world just turns upside down, but it also could be a turning point to look inside yourself.

Adapted from the short story “The Bear Came Over the Mountain” by one of my favorite author Alice Munro, the famous Canadian actress Sarah Polley shows her extraordinary talent with her first directorial and written debut and transited Munro’s words into emotionally compelling images exquisitely. She also took the nonlinear narration cleverly and adds up the refreshment of the film.

Fiona, who lost her memories and moved into a nursing home, already makes her husband Grant anxious. At the reunion after a certain of time, she even forgets him completely and has built up a relationship with a patient. It makes Grant’s anxiety much worse. The only thing he can do is to hope that he can someday awaken the memories of Fiona with a consistent strength. He who never experienced a “love crisis” is like experiencing a juvenescence of mind in this battle.

Grant, who might had an affair long ago, is suspecting that Fiona is just putting on an act to punish him. But he gradually threw away his prejudice. For he only wants to see the smile on Fiona’s face, even he has to deliver her another person that she dreams of.

Inside the seemed-plain but compelling underneath story by Munro, besides the attentiveness of Alzheimer, there’s also the yet desire for love of the elderly. The details added by Polley’s point of view emphasize the careness of the situation that everyone could very likely face. Oscar winner Julie Christie, who this role is costumed for, and the acclaimed Canadian play actor Gordon Pinsent both delivered their acting very precisely and naturally. Another Oscar winner Olympia Dukakis also makes this film glows.

P.S. The original short story is published in the collection titled “Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage.”