Take This Waltz (2011)

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courtesy of guardian.co.uk

Marriage is a weird thing. So many people enter into it haphazardly and refuse to take it seriously, while there is a large group of people working passionately just to have the right to do it. Marriages occur every day. They also fall apart every day. Somewhere in history, marriage became, for a lot of people, nothing but a burden on what could remain a healthy relationship. Somehow the stigma of "married" became a black mark on their record instead of a celebration of love between two people who would rather spend every day with that other person than anyone else.


The Canadian romantic comedy/drama/whatever it is Take This Waltz is a look at unwanted infidelity that becomes almost inescapable. The film stars Michelle Williams as Margot, a young freelance writer who lives in Toronto with her husband Lou (Seth Rogen), a cookbook author. By chance, Margot meets a man at the airport named Daniel (Luke Kirby) who turns out to be her neighbor. Daniel is an artist (for himself, not to make money) and a rickshaw driver (that's not a joke) and begins to draw Margot's eye as she explores what a relationship with him may be like. Lou has become relatively comfortable and stagnant and Margot has obviously become a little restless in her five year union to Lou.

Essentially, the film works like a very slow burn of frustration and confusion, all through Margot's eyes. Daniel never physically makes a play for her, though she more than willingly invites it. As she flirts with him, she always pulls away, in an attempt to stay faithful to her husband. But the literal hints she has given him and asked him to give to her are, in a way, mentally laying the groundwork for the tryst of a lifetime.

This subject of infidelity gets overplayed in plenty of films; one of the more memorably recent films being Unfaithful, which earned star Diane Lane an Oscar nomination. While Take This Waltz takes a similar approach by exploring the inner psyche of the "cheater," for lack of a better word, it doesn't really know how to approach the topic with the emotion it needs. In both films, there is nothing inherently wrong with the relationships the women have. They've become boring, if anything. Margot doesn't want to cheat on Lou. She doesn't want to feel this way about another man. But the heart wants what the heart wants. Unfortunately, outside of on-the-surface chemistry Margot has with Daniel, their courtship never feels emotionally honest. It feels more of an act of necessity, rather than love. While Unfaithful is a visceral, fascinating look at the topic, Take This Waltz is a lazy, quirky attempt to paint it in a hipster fashion. While plenty of independent rom-coms have plenty of emotion in them, Take This Waltz feels dry and incomprehensible.

courtesy of joblo.com

Director Sarah Polley makes an interesting attempt at discussing the topic of sexuality in relationships. Sex is all but nonexistent in Margot and Lou's marriage. It all seems to revolve around chicken. When Margot makes efforts to "seduce" Lou, it's met with a reaction that I won't call rejection; I'd say it's more indifference. This lack of physical satisfaction was bound to lead Margot astray. It just so happens that Daniel can talk to the talk and meet the sexual need she has, both mentally and emotionally. That doesn't mean he's the answer to her prayers.

Place all of this against the backdrop of Lou's family, who are used so ineptly that it's tough to determine their purpose. Lou's sister-in-law Geraldine (Sarah Silverman) is a recovering alcoholic and a good friend of Margot's, though the connections are never explored fully. Silverman's place in the film seems like nothing more than a set piece - a way back in for Margot after she gets all but excommunicated. A way to offer a little bit of unnecessary closure. Geraldine may be the only one truly happy with her life and she's the one who needs the most help.

There is very little in Take This Waltz to enjoy. It's not an easy film to sit through, with layer upon layer of what I can only call self-disgust. A lot of people aren't happy in their marriages. Take This Waltz is about someone who isn't just unhappy, but can't figure out why she isn't. Lou isn't a bad guy. Daniel isn't a bad guy. Margot isn't a bad person. There's no guarantee that a life with Daniel would be happier than life with Lou. The problem is that Margot has no clue who she is or what she wants. Lou understands who he is. Daniel has a patchwork life, but he knows his purpose and his passion. Even Geraldine knows she's an alcoholic. Margot wants security and low stress, but she also wants passion and spontaneity. That, and sex in a lighthouse.

SHOULD YOU SEE IT: Not Recommended