Away from Her
The brief
Sarah Polley's directorial debut moves with the deliberate, careful pace of its elderly protagonists, never rushing toward easy emotional payoffs. Julie Christie disappears so completely into a woman losing herself to Alzheimer's that you forget you're watching one of cinema's great beauties, while Gordon Pinsent breaks your heart as her husband grappling with a love that's becoming one-sided. The film sits with uncomfortable silences and lets scenes breathe, trusting you to feel the weight of 50 years of marriage dissolving. If you're drawn to quiet, literary dramas like 45 Years or The Father, this will wreck you in the best way.
The verdict
If you have patience for slow-burning literary dramas and aren't afraid of emotionally devastating stories about aging and memory loss, this is a heartbreaking masterpiece anchored by Julie Christie's transformative performance. If you need faster pacing or uplifting storylines, this deliberate meditation on a marriage dissolving due to Alzheimer's will feel too heavy and slow.
Watch with
- 👫 Perfect for couples ready for deep conversation
- 👤 Best watched solo if dealing with dementia personally
- ⚠️ Avoid if recently lost someone to Alzheimer's
Heads up
- Alzheimer's disease progression depicted throughout (frequent)
- Emotional abandonment and loss of identity (moderate)
- Brief sexual content involving elderly characters (brief)
Credits
- Director
- Sarah Polley
- Cast
- Gordon Pinsent, Julie Christie, Michael Murphy, Olympia Dukakis, Kristen Thomson, Wendy Crewson, Alberta Watson
Official synopsis
Fiona and Grant have been married for nearly 50 years. They have to face the fact that Fiona’s absent-mindedness
The Double
Make a night of it
Pair this with The Master (2012)
Both explore aging men confronting lost identity and emotional isolation.
Total runtime: 1h 50m + 2h 17m = 4h 7m
