Away from her review. Away From Her Review 2022-10-15
Away from her review Rating:
7,1/10
137
reviews
Away from Her is a poignant and emotionally charged film that tells the story of a couple, Fiona and Grant, as they navigate the challenges of Fiona's deteriorating memory due to Alzheimer's disease.
The film is directed by Sarah Polley and stars Julie Christie and Gordon Pinsent as the main characters. Christie delivers a powerful and nuanced performance as Fiona, a woman who is slowly losing her grip on reality as her memory fades. Pinsent is equally excellent as Grant, Fiona's devoted husband who struggles to come to terms with his wife's condition and the changes it brings to their relationship.
One of the most striking aspects of Away from Her is the way it handles the theme of memory and how it shapes our sense of identity. As Fiona's memory deteriorates, she becomes a different person, one who is distant and unfamiliar to those around her, including her own husband. The film deftly portrays the heartbreak and confusion that comes with watching a loved one slip away, as well as the difficult decisions that must be made about their care.
Another standout element of the film is its beautiful cinematography and setting. The story takes place in a small, idyllic town in rural Canada, and the natural beauty of the surroundings serves as a contrast to the pain and turmoil of the characters' inner lives.
Overall, Away from Her is a deeply moving and thought-provoking film that explores the complex and difficult issues surrounding Alzheimer's disease. It is a powerful reminder of the importance of love and connection, and the enduring strength of the human spirit in the face of hardship.
Away from Her movie review & film summary (2006)
My last conversation with my mother, before she was institutionalised, or I even realised what was happening, was a long distance phone call. This is the best material Ms. We initially see her being unable to remember the names of objects, various events and getting lost in the snow. As this happens, the symptoms become more severe. Humans are not perfect, so why should real love between two people be perfect? With the eventual acceptance of this reality, her husband, Grant, follows her into this next chapter of their life together - trailed by a reflection on his own memories.
It is as though memories flood back to her but they aren't her own. Keeping the house safe is very important for Alzheimer patient. As for Sarah Polley's preface, it was pretty self-absorbed, but it was well written enough and did a decent job of explaining why the story is important to her and why she felt compelled to make a movie of it. She marvels at how it was kept so well after all this time. Caregiver need to closely asses the house, looking at each room and its objects through the eyes of someone with Alzheimers.
White people started throwing rock at the Black protestor and violently threatened them. Grant wasn't the most faithful of husbands, and Munro makes a point showing the way Grant's mind worked every time he had an affair with one of his students. The family carries some guilt when it comes to their youngest daughter Anna; who was genetically created to donate things such as blood and bone marrow to her older sister Kate, who has cancer. They tend to romanticize it or soft pedal it, which is what was done here. A strong reason that a person holds onto until the end, that would make all the battles worth the fight. With the incisive, almost grim care of a surgeon, she again and again opens for our view the bleakness and the grace of intimacy.
. So it is important for the nurses to communicate this with the patient that the may need some help in doing self care. When Cynthia committed suicide after her ex-husband married a much younger mistress, the other three women met at her funeral for the first time since college. It presents a woefully inadequate picture of Alzheimer's Disease, as anyone who has had to deal with it personally can well attest. But I think they were chosen wisely, and put together they create a good landscape of her writing. Probably one of the best short stories by Munro that I have read, and what a memorable way to finish this collection.
This moving story, was told from the perspective of the director and screenplay writer, Objectively the film is the struggle of relationship with a women suffering from Alzheimers. Now 28, she directs with more confidence than any of the directors nominated for Best Picture this past year. Also great are Olympia Dukakis as Murphy's wife and Kristen Thomson as a nurse sympathetic to Grant's pain. Her husband, Grant, is dejected with their predicament as Fiona is moved to a specialized facility and within it between wards dealing with patients with differing levels of impairment. I'm not usually one to watch films dealing with diseases of any type believing them to be maudlin, manipulative and even somewhat morbid much less mental illness, but since this is expected to earn Julie Christie another Oscar which would probably make it the longest gap between the first and second win , I decided to check it out in time for the upcoming awards ceremony. It is one of few mistakes made by this novice filmmaker but fortunately not one that makes the film any less painful. His attitude and feelings are carefully exposed in the author's writing.
Not sure why, but I did not connect to this couple. A superb Canadian cast to say the least with a terrific Canadian director performing a story by a classic Canadian Author. A book much enjoyed. For example, I remember my father, a highly intelligent and purposeful man before he was diagnosed with the disease, sitting at the dinner table with his arms on his lap and banging them on the underside of the table because he forgot the table was there and he was trying to use his arms to make a gesture. This worsens the situation for Fiona and Grant as after 30 days she has forgotten about him and got close to Aubrey. . The realities of a long marriage, the forgiveness required for the many mistakes made, the togetherness and routines that foster closeness, all of these are told with clear and sometimes brutal honesty.
Cabinets with medications or alcohol should be lock. The whole movie takes place on the face of Gordon Pinsent. Kendel easily getting lost go outside? His newfound and deep attachment to this new woman who lives in this facility has been very hard on the woman he left behind, and it has been an awkward situation for my husband. The other man is Aubrey, a wheelchair bound mute patient at the nursing home. .
Fiona was certainly not like any of the victims I Not sure why, but I did not connect to this couple. I found it profoundly depressing, but extremely readable. The couple have been very active over the years and Fiona is considered a real 'lady' who knows quite a bit in relation to culture, the finer things and her husband's philandering past. What a fantastic performance he gives. Olympia Dukakis is another fine actor playing a lady who has "quit quitting". What other line can she take? Sarah Polley is under 30 and "Away From Her" is a genius project for any age of filmmaker.
