Away from Her

What stands out first about Away from Her is the confidence with which Sarah Polley establishes its drama identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Away from Her asks Julie Christie and Michael Murphy to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Away from Her is established with useful clarity: A man coping with the institutionalization of his wife because of Alzheimer's disease faces an epiphany when she transfers her affections to another man, Aubrey, a wheelchair bound mute who also is a patient at the nursing home. That direct approach lets Away from Her use its 1h 50m running time for character, atmosphere and consequence.

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The most useful technical choice in Away from Her is music that leaves room for silence, because it helps the audience understand both space and mood. Foundry Films frames Away from Her through music that leaves room for silence without letting surface finish replace character. Drawing on its Canada background, Away from Her uses conversation edited with patience to give familiar material a more specific texture. Cinematography, sound and editing meet effectively in Away from Her whenever a sequence must feel large without losing its human scale.

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What keeps Away from Her emotionally readable is Julie Christie, whose choices establish a consistent point of view. In scenes with Michael Murphy, Away from Her gains tension from two performers refusing to produce the same kind of energy. Gordon Pinsent contributes a separate rhythm to Away from Her and helps the supporting material feel less purely functional. The direction by Sarah Polley gives the cast of Away from Her room to connect the quieter beats with the larger ones.

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At story level, Away from Her turns Alzheimer and Aubrey into the source of its main tension. The role played by Julie Christie becomes the viewer's route through Away from Her, especially when the central character begins to alter the situation. Sarah Polley gives Away from Her momentum by allowing choices to create consequences instead of treating each scene as isolated information. Even when an important relationship pushes the plot toward familiar ground, Away from Her remains attentive to what that pressure means for its characters.

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Away from Her finds additional purpose in its examination of communication, responsibility and the small choices that reshape relationships. Through the performance of Julie Christie, Away from Her makes that examination feel personal before it becomes broadly symbolic. The idea of Alzheimer repeatedly returns Away from Her to the cost behind its more visible developments. Sarah Polley is most persuasive when Away from Her allows the theme to emerge from an uncomfortable choice rather than polished dialogue.

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Sarah Polley gives Away from Her a directorial line that is confident enough to trust quiet moments from its opening promise to its final movement. The staging of Away from Her is strongest when Sarah Polley allows motivation to determine pace instead of reversing that priority. Viewed as a complete piece, Away from Her confirms that the result feels considered rather than manufactured across most of the running time. A tighter version of Away from Her would address how the finish occasionally makes its careful design visible, yet the surrounding work remains persuasive.

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My final view is that Away from Her provides a rewarding and confident piece of filmmaking for drama viewers who value performance and emotional detail. Julie Christie supplies the emotional memory of Away from Her, while Sarah Polley keeps the genre machinery readable. A concern remains because the finish occasionally makes its careful design visible across part of Away from Her, yet the better passages retain their force. What earns Away from Her consideration is not perfection but the presence of choices that feel made for this story.