Cast:
Charlotte Rampling
Tom Courtenay
Director: Andrew Haigh
Grade: A

In this day and age, a time when the short attention span of theater goers is catered to, we sometimes miss the nuances of a movie. We are not patient enough to get involved with a story. We actually want things to move fast and get tied into a nice, neat package in under 120 minutes. What a shame. We miss the original intent of movies: storytelling.

Taken from British writer David Constantine’s short story “In Another Country,” 45 Years is a story of an affluent, older couple, content with their life in the English countryside. As they plan an anniversary party and go about their quiet, unassuming retirement, a letter suddenly throws their marriage into a world of uncertainty and doubt, especially in the eyes of the wife.

The couple, Kate and Geoff Mercer are played by international stars Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courtenay.  Americans don’t know who they are, but should. Both of them have been around a long time, and I’d encourage anyone to look up their impressive screen credits and watch anything you can get your hands on. Their performances are truly brilliant.

Courtenay, playing the septuagenarian Geoff, is a master of the far-away gaze and keeps you guessing throughout the movie if his shuffling, somewhat preoccupied and unfocused character is really that dotty or he is just playing it up to mask his true feelings and help hide the secret of his past life. Courtenay could certainly resign himself to a supporting part in the movie (which is truly Charlotte Rampling’s picture), yet gives us such a complex and sympathetic performance that is gloriously understated. His portrayal of Geoff enables us to feel that we knew him his entire life. It can even be said that we understand Geoff, whether we agree with how he’s conducted himself or not.

Rampling, an actress who has had a truly unorthodox career since her beginnings in the 1960s, will probably be lauded (and already has more than a dozen awards plus an Academy Award nomination for this role) as having turned in the performance of her life. When one sees her in this picture, walking her dog, getting the mail, going to town to run errands, it is hard not to think about how slow-moving and tedious this film could be. Yet if we have the patience to watch, really watch, we begin to see the facial expressions, the gestures, the movement of the hands.  We are drawn into the lives of the characters easily. As I said happens with the character of Geoff and Courtenay’s performance, we are captivated by the character of Kate. Rampling allows us to look back and see Kate as the 19 year-old beauty who is swept off her feet by the dashing, older explorer.  We see her life as a schoolteacher, settling down into a quaint, lovely life of wonderful day-to-day things. We see a girl who fell in love with her whole self, and we understand why her world is suddenly rocked when she learns something about a husband she thought she knew.

I recommend 45 Years not only for the story, filled with metaphors, symbolism,and plenty of fodder for analytical and deep-thinking moviegoers, but also to witness two of the greatest performers of our century. Both of the stars of this film say more with their facial expressions in a short scene than many actors show in several pages of dialogue. Their performances are mesmerizing, heartbreaking, sympathetic; and as I said before, understated. It’s really a shame that Americans haven’t seen them a bit more.

This film does not rush us. Yes, there are slow parts; but I  feel they are necessary and much needed.  We are left with so much to think about, so much to get emotional about and so much to enjoy. The ending is fodder for a huge amount of post-movie discussion.

It’s not a feel good film, by any means. It’s a fantastic story with elements of a love story, mystery, horror film and tragedy all mixed in. It is my sincere hope that audiences go see it and give it a chance.

45 years is rated R for language and brief sexuality. This fantastic movie opens in theaters on Friday, January 29.