"45 Years" is not only one of the most engulfing relationship dramas since "Blue Valentine," but it's also a fantastic example of how a director can capture his actors and elevate their performances with intentional camera work. Tom Courtenay and Charlotte Rampling are at their most vulnerable as director Andrew Haigh frames their relationship with incredible intimacy.
The movie succeeds by never falling into a place of sap or safety. Instead, it homes in on the awkward and tough parts of the long marriage. Haigh, Rampling and Courtenay all prove that they can handle complicated human emotions with compassion and contradiction.
On the week leading up to their 45th anniversary, Geof (Tom Courtenay) and Kate (Charlotte Rampling) get twisted news. Geof receives a letter that his first love’s body has been found frozen and preserved at the bottom of the Alps where she fell more than 50 years ago. After learning this, Geof and Kate’s relationship experiences turbulence as Kate’s insecurities bubble to the surface and Geof’s innocence detracts from the problem at hand. As the days go by, Kate begins to put their whole relationship into perspective until the night of their anniversary party.
"45 Years" separates each of its days with a placard stating the day of the week and a gorgeous and surreal scene of the surrounding Norfolk landscapes. These instances of exterior shots are few and far between as the camera makes a point to constantly capture the expressions of Rampling and Courtenay.
Haigh becomes the best member of the supporting cast as he takes any ego out of his direction. Everything is sublimely lit and captured with the intention of elevating the two co-stars’ performances.
Without giving much away, in the last scene, the camera gorgeously circles Courtenay and Rampling capturing their emotions with mastery, ease and class. Moments like this sent chills up my spine as I got a look at something that felt almost too personal to watch.
The backbone of "45 Years" is the authentic but smart screenplay. Haigh’s script and direction have the sensibilities of being an arthouse film that is pensive on its environments and meandering on its subjects. Yet, it never delves into the “self-indulgent” area so there are many crowd-pleasing melodramatic conversations led by Kate.
What makes "45 Years" interesting is the way it works up the conflicting reservations of Geof and Kate. As Geof and his deceased ex-girlfriend’s relationship gets more exposed, Kate begins to have doubts about her husband. She struggles with this almost entirely internally and Geof often fails to understand how she is actually coping. This dynamic really drives the latter half up until the anniversary.
Without Rampling and Courtenay this film would be getting very little attention. The U. legends are the entire film and that cast and crew step back to let their relationship breathe. Courtenay masters the reservations and simplicity that Geof needs. Geof is in love with his wife, but he never seems quite willing to divulge the dirty truths of his past. The watcher has to determine whether he is trying to avoid drama or just ignorant of his wives internal struggles. Courtenay’s likability and innocuousness make him compelling to watch and wonder how much he is actually noticing
Ultimately, Rampling is the MVP and delivers one of the best performances of the year. Kate has the perfect balance of subtle sorrow and cries for attention. Rampling is a completely relaxed actress with a ton of control and she lived in Kate so not a single note rung false.
"45 Years" is an excellent film that could have easily just been good. Instead, it avoids many of the romance genre pitfalls. The final product is as heartbreaking as it is beautiful and is accessible and poignant to all ages despite its niche.
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Reach the reporter at tanner.stechnij@asu.edu or follow @tannerstechnij on Twitter.
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