Take This Waltz

There are two types of romantic movie fans out there. There are those who gladly pay to watch Katherine Heigl muster up the bare minimum of enthusiasm to do something uninteresting and there are those who like their romance with a touch of cynicism/realism (delete where appropriate). The latter camp veer towards the likes of Blue Valentine and Revolutionary Road: what happens after the church bells stop ringing?

Williams and Rogan have only been married for a short number of years but the gloss has gone off the marriage already. Both seem content to ignore the fact that they're not having sex, pretending they're enjoying the cute childish games like Thumb Wars and describing the gruesome ways they'd off each other. Frustrated at home, her head is turned by handsome neighbour Paul Kirby, an adult in her eyes, who makes it known that if she's willing he's game.

A different take on the will they/won't they, Take This Waltz explored the fallout of an affair: when most movies side with the lovers and gets lost in the lovely romance of it all, what about those who are left hurting at home? And what will become of the affair? Can you sustain the initial rush? Williams' clandestine meetings with Kirby are too perfect to be real: the swimming pool at midnight, the sun-kissed beach, 'I just want to spend the day with you,' he tells her at one point. It's just fantasy. This guy should be on a white horse, fending off a dragon at the foot of a tower.

As he grows into the perfect man in her eyes, hubby Rogan becomes a boorish slob. Eating out one night, they struggle for conversation and because this is seen through her eyes, it's him that's not engaging, it's him that's not interested. The flipside of that is Williams and Kirby on a merry-go-round to the pumping bass of The Buggles; it's all coy smiles and shy brushing of the hands until the ride suddenly stops, the ugly light comes on and we're back to reality.

In her follow up to the sublime Away From Her, Sarah Polley can push the indie romance too far - at times it's a capital I and capital R. Williams has a fear - she's afraid of being afraid, which is annoyingly vague plight of a character in an indie movies. Money problems aren't an issue despite that Williams doesn't work, Rogan is anchored to the stove and Kirby pulls a rickshaw - how can they afford the lovely homes they live in? The action gets flabby in the middle too as Polley just loves her characters sitting in coffee shops talking.

If you're the kind of person who watches Brief Encounter and can't stop thinking about Celia Johnson's poor husband and Trevor Howard's unfortunate wife back home, then this is the one for you. But if you prefer Katherine Heigl unarsed about arsing about, then avoid.