Take This Waltz, Sarah Polley (2012)

A tale of imperfect romance, Take This Waltz features characters who bare their insecurities, both bravely and embarrassingly. Michelle Williams plays the lead role as Margot, a woman with vague aspirations of being a writer, who has been married to Lou (Seth Rogen) for five years. While Lou devotes his energy to experimenting with chicken recipes for his cookbook Tastes Like Chicken, Margot has free time to pursue distractions and stumble through her complicated network of emotions.

Each scene can be assessed by a whirlwind of expressions on Margot's face. There's a chance she'll maintain fragile composure, crumble behind quivering lips, or surrender to a fit of carefree grins. In any case, Williams can be credited for a flawless display of Margot's nervousness and vulnerability.

Some situational elements seem unreal, like the premise for Margot meeting her enticing neighbor Daniel (Luke Kirby). They each take a trip to the same historic site in Nova Scotia alone, they sit next to each other on the plane ride back to Toronto, and when they take a taxi together they learn they live across the street from one another. Of course it could happen, and that's a very romantic way to set up a love story, but a simultaneous trip to Nova Scotia seems over the top. Anyway, that is the catalyst for Margot's craving new romance, which defies her marriage with the trustworthy Lou.

The script dabbles with playful humor between husband and wife, explicit sex talk between strangers who fantasize about being lovers, confessions of fears, and comments about getting old, overcoming addiction, or giving into indulgence. At moments, the acting is so loaded with expressive body language that no dialogue is necessary. While Take This Waltz touches on serious issues through dialogue, it more beautifully displays how these issues mark people's lives with a plot that's driven by emotions, which lead to actions that have consequences.

The movie is shot in a way that emphasizes actors' movements and expressions, enhancing the story with a depth that too much dialogue would bog down. The camera shifts from Margot's face to her feet while she makes blueberry muffins, the camera rests just far enough from Margot's face to catch every goodbye hug and kiss she gives her in-laws in a flurry as they shuffle out the door, and the camera spies on Margot and Daniel during an intoxicating carnival ride of momentary euphoria before abrupt silence, stillness, and florescent lighting coldly force them back to reality.

Take This Waltz is a love story without a definite protagonist. The story's substance comes from the uncertainty people face when they're emotionally conflicted. Despite a few overly romanticized moments, the movie resonates with anyone who has been surprised by his or her own emotions and felt it took courage to act on them.