Looking Closer's Film Forum: "Away from Her"

I'm eager to see Sarah Polley's directorial debut, Away from Her, because it is reported to include a brilliant performance by Julie Christie. But most of all, I want to see it for its subject. How often do filmmakers give moviegoers the privilege of deeply and carefully considering the lives and challenges of characters older than 40?

Pshaw!! say the moviegoers, rushing out to keep Disturbia and Delta Farce in the top five at the box office.

Oh well... Sarah Polley has never been one to pander to childish audiences. Polley, who charmed me when she was just a kid in Terry Gilliam's The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, is giving us an opportunity to examine experiences rarely portrayed on the big screen... experiences that many of us will eventually share, either in our own lives or the lives of those close to us.

J.R. Jones (The Chicago Reader) writes:

The Sweet HereafterDon't Come KnockingDawn of the Dead

And David Denby in The New Yorker raves,

Polley’s feature début ... is a small-scale triumph that could herald a great career. In general, she works close to her actors, and is confident enough to let scenes remain ambiguous—the meanings build slowly, by accretion. But she also demonstrates an impressive feeling for the spiritual meaning of landscape, as when Fiona, on skis, finds herself isolated in the snow and, looking around at the open fields, experiences the terror of a life without signposts.

Lisa Ann Cockrel (Christianity Today) says,

Away From Her

Harry Forbes (CNS) calls it

...

Polley's uncompromising film may bring up painful memories for some, but others will find it a well-crafted love story as much about the nature of memory as about Alzheimer's per se, and there's a heart-tugging conclusion.

GreenCine Daily has a stack of more reviews from impressed critics that are increasing my curiosity.

UPDATED 5/22:
Christian Hamaker (Crosswalk) says,

Away from Her