Away From Her (2006): B+

Director(s): Sarah Polley. Screenplay: Sarah Polley. Cast: Julie Christie, Gordon Pinsent, Michael Murphy, Olympia Dukakis, Kristen Thomson and Wendy Crewson. Distributor: Lionsgate. Runtime: 110 min. Rating: NR.

With Away from Her, actress-turned-director Sarah Polley eschews poignancy and turns it into a tacitly graceful piece of not only picturesque, but remarkable film making. The brilliant Julie Christie plays Fiona, an admirable woman who is losing her mind to Alzheimer's disease. From the beginning - three superb shots of Fiona and Grant (Gordon Pinsent) cross-country skiing: the first showing them parallel to each other, the second on divergent courses, and the third depicting them side-by-side once again - to the end, Sarah Polley will not only thoroughly study the characters and the disease itself, she will be able to put one in a position that the viewer would be able to find him or herself in. Based on the magnificent short story "The Bear Came Over The Mountain", found in an old edition of The New Yorker, the film begins with Fiona putting a newly washed pot in the freezer - evidence that what is to follow is only more of her deteriorating state. Indeed, as her condition worsens, she moves to an elderly care facility. There, she becomes involuntarily infatuated with fellow patient Aubrey (Michael Murphy), causing Grant an inexorable amount of not quite jealousy, but yearning.

The narrative, told through the eyes of Grant, is as follows: as Grant nears the home of Aubrey and his wife Marian, (a solemn Olympia Dukakis), reminiscences of Fiona ensue. It haunts Grant through the conversation with Marian, and it is only after this that the narrative is straightly told. One could argue that the narrative is fragmented, and indeed it is; yet it is done with deep intent, meant for a deep measure of self-reflexivity. This result is, undoubtedly, uniquely existential and powerful.

Julie Christie gives, indeed, the best performance of the year so far; her face and her voice are the type that stay with you for days, especially as her condition deteriorates even further. Polley was right to choose Christie, even though, at first, the actress said no. She is truly radiant, something that is really quite rare in modern-day performances. Also brilliant is how the film takes themes (such as one of Bach's Preludes and Neil Young's dreamy "Harvest Moon") and sticks them onto the film's illustrious aesthetic. In the end, Away from Her is, more than anything, a beauty; but unlike other films with relative subjects, this one is mature, its spirit: timeless.