Take This Waltz (2011)

Written by CinemaSerf on February 25, 2023

"Margot" (Michelle Williams) encounters the hunky "Daniel" (Luke Kirby) on a plane after he spots her using some interesting tactics to get onto the priority boarding list. They hit it off pretty quickly and on landing share a cab to their homes - it turns out that they are all but next door neighbours. Now she is very happily married to "Lou" (Seth Rogan) but I challenge anyone married or otherwise not to find the charismatic Kirby a bit of a distraction. Not looking for change, what now ensues is a gently evolving romance that shies away from sentimentality but focusses more on human nature. On how what isn't broken doesn't need fixed - but perhaps it needs changing? On the downside, there is a flaw in the marital relationship that isn't explained - and after a while I found that annoying, but for the most part this is a characterful study of people looking for happiness - even when they think they ready have it - and maybe even one that points out that it might never be truly attainable. Sarah Silverman contributes sparingly, but well, as the alcoholic sister-in-law ("Gerry") and though his is very much the lesser of the three leads, Rogan too offers us a considered performance as a man realising that his dreams are changing too - just not at his behest. It falls away a little at the end; the intensity of the performances cannot readily be sustained as it turns a little to the physical - plenty of full nudity but virtually none of "Daniel"! Its funny and quirky too, well written and for me, at any rate, one of Miss Williams' better on screen efforts.