Take This Waltz

Take This Waltz, actress turned writer-director Sarah Polley's follow-up to her Oscar-nominated drama Away from Her, is a tender and twee story about commitment and temptation that holds pockets of promise but is ultimately ponderous and disappointing. Fretful and fragile Margot (Michelle Williams) is an overgrown girl in a loving—though gratingly baby talk-laden—relationship with her husband (Seth Rogen), which is threatened when she indulges in a flirtation with her devastatingly desirable neighbor (Luke Kirby). Polley creates some incredible imagery, including an enchanting scene on a carnival ride that perfectly encapsulates Margot's fascination with her crush through elegant visual storytelling, but Polley's lack of confidence urges ham-fisted dialogue that desperately—and repeatedly—states the themes and subtext, creating a hurdle that even her wonderful cast can't quite overcome. Williams suffers the worse, ultimately coming off as a one-note maudlin doll. Still, Rogen shines in a more mature role, while Kirby is absolutely smoldering and captivating in his longing, and Sarah Silverman in a rare dramatic turn is spot-on. Unfortunately, Polley can't discern what works from what doesn't and so throws it all into this Waltz, resulting in beautiful moments of girlish romanticism being lost amid too many missteps.