The Portland International Film Festival runs February 9-25, offering everything from Bollywood fare to Zoo, a documentary about men who have sex with stallions. Ouch!
I've been lazy about attending the advance screenings, but this morning I caught Sarah Polley's directing debut, Away From Her. It doesn't open in theaters until May, but I thought I'd post my review now for those of you who are prowling the film festival circuit. For more info on PIFF visit:
www.nwfilm.org


Away From Her
Grade: A-

Canadian actress Sarah Polley (The Sweet Hereafter) makes her directing debut with this heartbreaking adaptation of a short story by Alice Munro. Still radiant at 65, Julie Christie plays an Alzheimer’s patient who, to her husband’s dismay, develops an intimate bond with a man at her residential care facility. Some of the opening scenes feel choppy, but Polley finds her rhythm and admirably avoids the disease movie clichés that a lesser talent would undoubtedly heap on this material. Gordon Pinsent, Olympia Dukakis and Michael Murphy round out the cast.