Take This Waltz

It might seem difficult to find fresh cinematic takes on themes of infidelity and crumbling marriages, but Take This Waltz makes an admirable effort.

The Canadian domestic drama marks the second directorial feature for actress Sarah Polley (The Sweet Hereafter), who now has marked herself as a name to watch on both sides of the camera.

The story of a woman torn between her husband and her neighbor is uneven and deliberately paced, but at least is intellectually ambitious and doesn’t run its subject matter through an assembly line of Hollywood clichés.

It also boasts a fine ensemble cast, led by the terrific Michelle Williams, who gives another thoughtful and contemplative performance as a troubled woman with a conflicted heart.

Williams plays Margot, a fledgling Toronto writer in her late 20s who seems happily married to Lou (Seth Rogen). However, she’s clearly going through some emotional distress just as she has a few chance encounters with Daniel (Luke Kirby), an artist who lives across the street and who seems to offer comfort. As Margot’s relationship with Daniel grows deeper if romantically unfulfilled over the course of the summer, she becomes more distant from Lou.

Meanwhile, the root of Margot’s malaise remains cloudy, which creates a frustrating emotional gap between her character and the audience. It most likely stems from a combination of romantic boredom and an early version of mid-life crisis.

The latter becomes more clear during conversations with Margot’s friends Geraldine (Sarah Silverman) and Karen (Jennifer Podemski), who accompany her to a water-aerobics class for seniors and become fearful of growing old without finding the right man.

However, Polley, who earned an Oscar nomination for the screenplay of her directorial debut, Away From Her (2006), doesn’t settle for romantic contrivances or easily separate heroes from villains. Hers is a more perceptive and meaningful exploration of the pitfalls of contemporary relationships that doesn’t always hit the right notes, but certainly earns points for trying.

Likewise the performance of Williams, whose performance has a raw authenticity in portraying a woman of confused morals and muted emotions who says more with facial expressions and body language than she ever could with words.

Rated R, 116 minutes.