45 Years is one of
those films that comes along far too rarely: wonderfully touching, and often
quite sad, it somehow makes you feel glad that you’ve seen it.
The film is based on the short-story In Another Country by David Constantine (I didn’t realise it until
writing this blog, but my wife and I actually saw him speak at the Manchester
Literature Festival in 2012). The plot is as follows: married couple Kate and
Geoff Mercer are just about to celebrate their 45th wedding
anniversary together. However, a few days before their planned party, Geoff
receives news that the body of a former girlfriend, who fell to her death
whilst they were hiking in the Swiss alps, has been found, perfectly preserved
in the ice after several decades. As Geoff takes in this information, he
becomes more secretive and withdrawn. Gradually, Kate begins to piece things
together and comes to understand that this girlfriend was actually a much more
significant figure in Geoff’s life than he had ever let on.
I won’t go into more detail because to do so would spoil the
film. What I will say is that 45 Years
deals with some complex, highly emotional issues in a very sympathetic way. The
film goes beyond a superficial examination of the natural jealousy we all have
regarding our current partner’s previous loves, moving on to far deeper and
more disturbing questions: How would our lives have turned out if not for some
chance incident? Whenever we settle with someone, how can we ever be sure that our
chosen partner is the one – or that we are theirs? And even after
forty-five years together, is it ever possible to really know someone?
Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courtenay are simply fantastic in
the main roles. They truly felt like a married couple who had spent the
majority of their lives together, and for me, this is the key to the film’s
success: every little heartbreak feels incredibly real.
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