45 Years

Composite Score: 83.6

Starring: Charlotte Rampling, Tom Courtenay, Geraldine James, Dolly Wells, David Sibley, Sam Alexander, and Richard Cunningham

Director: Andrew Haigh

Writer: Andrew Haigh

Genres: Drama, Romance, Mystery

MPAA Rating: R for language and brief sexuality

Box Office: $14.43 million worldwide

Why should you Watch This Film?

                45 Years is Andrew Haigh’s film adaptation of David Constantine’s short story “In Another Country” about an aging married couple whose bliss is shattered by the arrival of a letter that shakes the foundations of their marriage on the eve of their forty-fifth wedding anniversary. The film stars Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courtenay as Kate and Geoff Mercer, the film’s central characters who have a lot more to unpack after forty-five years of marriage than they may have realized. Rampling’s performance gained her an Oscar nomination for best lead actress, and the film also received a BAFTA nomination for best British film. The film’s exploration of regret and secrets and their impact on love and marriage has made it one of the more noteworthy films of the last decade.

Why shouldn’t you Watch This Film?

                As far as films about the problems brought about in relationships by lack of communication go, 45 Years is fairly unremarkable, standing out only for having an ambiguous ending and a strong leading performance. There’s only two plausible reasons why a husband wouldn’t have let his wife in on the details of a past relationship, and this film’s narrative flirts around with both possibilities before finally making one of them the very clear answer. Those moments leading up to the reveal and the reveal itself give the film a little bit more gravitas, but after that point, the film’s third act feels a bit underwhelming. Yes, the audience is given the opportunity to engage with the processing done by both Kate and Geoff, but the lack of clear conclusion leaves their processing more muddied than healthy. It starts off down a solid path but leaves off just a little too close to where it started to actually get you pursuing it any farther, at least in my opinion.

So wait, why should you Watch This Film?

                Even with its underwhelming story, there’s enough little things (and one big performance) about 45 Years to make it a worthwhile watch. For starters, the film looks really good, utilizing its scenes and sets well to its advantage. By opening each day with a wide shot of the British countryside, the film reminds the audience of the characters’ place in the world – the consistency of every day in the midst of their uncertain future. The filmmakers also intentionally use music well, avoiding the use of a score in favor of music playing at natural times throughout different scenes. This allows the film to take on the tone of a film grounded in reality that also happens to be focused on the past, thanks to consistent use of “oldies” played on the radio to set the tone or clash with the tone of various scenes. It’s those little touches like that that remind the audience that the filmmakers were incredibly intentional in the way they presented the film.

                Obviously, also, Charlotte Rampling gives an award-worthy performance. Courtenay also holds his own as the bumbling, frustrated, and unnecessarily secretive Geoff, giving Rampling an ample performance to play off of, but she just outshines him at every turn. Rampling’s portrayal of a woman seeking to understand her husband and his secrets even as she begins to question his love plays out mesmerizingly on the screen. From her subtle shifts in attitude as the film unfolds to her devastating shift when she realizes her husband’s secret to the simple pulling away of a hand that ends the film, Rampling puts on a masterclass in subtle realism, taking this true story and never needing to go over the top to bring home the emotional weight to the audience.

                45 Years is a simple film, bolstered by writer/director Andrew Haigh’s attention to detail throughout the film and strong leading performances, headlined by Charlotte Rampling’s Oscar-nominated turn as Kate, which elevate the film to this place of greatness. A familiar and occasionally underwhelming story will probably keep this lower on people’s lists than some other films, but her performance is a can’t-miss for fans of the art form. This film is currently available to stream with an AMC+ subscription or via the Criterion Collection if you’re interested.