FOLIE "I DO"

Is Take This Waltz (Polley, 2011) supposed to be a feel good movie about adultery?  Does it really matter one way or the other?

Margot (Michelle Williams) is married to Lou (Seth Rogen). They seem happy in the beginning, and Margot certainly seems committed, but after a chance encounter with Daniel (Luke Kirby) all bets are suddenly off.  

Writer-director Sarah Polley does a fine job of keeping things honest and non-judgmental. In order for the film to work, all three lead characters need to be immensely likable.  After all, Margot just wants to be happy. Daniel just wants to love Margot. Lou just wants to finish his chicken cookbook. He loves his wife, but it's painfully obvious they've run out of things to talk about. When it comes to figuring out Margot, Lou seems like he's run out of energy. Enter Daniel. Daniel, enter Margot.

Take This Waltz is an emotionally complicated movie and the payoff is considerable even though there are no answers, no guarantees of happiness. 

There is a lot of beautiful camerawork, courtesy of Luc Montpellier. It's not just Lou and Daniel who want to kiss Margot's face; so does the sunlight.

I didn't see Michelle Williams as Marilyn Monroe and I skipped the movie with the dog (Wendy & Lucy), but she's smart and talented and she and Gosling killed it in Blue Valentine (Cianfrance, 2010). She's terrific as Margot.  

Life is short.  Be as happy as you can be.