Andrew Haigh, in 45 Years, draws an exquisite portrait of a relationship marked by the vicissitudes of time.
Geoff and Kate Mercer, a retired childless couple, live peacefully in the English countryside. As the film open, they’re one week away from celebrating their 45th wedding anniversary. Puttering around their modest house, they seem to be in reasonably good humour. They’re past their prime, but they appreciate the smaller pleasures of life.
One fine morning, a letter arrives, which unleashes a range of emotions from Geoff (Tom Courtenay) and Kate (Charlotte Rampling). Geoff learns that the body of his old girlfriend, Katya, has been found in a melting glacier in the Swiss Alps. Fifty years ago, while on a hike with Geoff, Katya disappeared into a crevasse, never to be heard from again.
With fond memories of Katya tugging at Geoff, he says he may go to Switzerland to take one final look at her. Kate doesn’t think it’s a good idea, but refrains from pressing the point too hard. She’s preoccupied with planning their imminent 45th anniversary party.
The film, which opens in Canada on January 22, is adept at capturing the dynamics of their discussions concerning Katya. Geoff, a former cement factory manager, is clearly consumed by Katya as he recalls her laughter and scream in the last seconds before the catastrophic accident. Kate, a former teacher, is testy because Geoff never bothered to tell her about Katya.
As 45 Years unfolds, it becomes a reflecting pool on the ravages of aging. Kate, tall and willowy, expresses regret they don’t have photographs of their youthful years. Geoff, his skin pale and a paunch beginning to define his waist, speaks ruefully of his lost sense of purpose, his advancing decrepitude and his disappointment with a friend whose political militancy has been eclipsed by his enjoyment of golf on the Algarve.
But in a tender scene which conjures up their undiminished zest for living, they dance slowly to a bubble gum hit from the 1960s. When the song ends, they decamp to the bedroom, where they make love. Judging by their brief encounter, it’s apparent they do not engage in sex frequently.
Haigh, in keeping with the movie’s predominant theme, continues to focus on Geoff’s growing obsession with Katya. In the dead of one night, he climbs to the attic and retrieves a photograph of Katya. It’s just a photo, he protests, but Kate realizes it’s more than that. In a huff, she claims she’s no longer interested in talking about Katya. But in truth, Kate’s jealousy burns brightly.
45 Years reaches a peak of intensity at a dinner party during which Geoff delivers a sweet speech in honor of their anniversary and then proceeds to dance with Kate to the romantic strains of Smoke Gets In Your Eyes.
Rampling, displaying beauty and empathy, is wonderful as an attentive wife trying to transcend piques of jealousy. Courtenay’s portrayal of a man grasping the straws of his youth is also touching.
Written and directed by Haigh, 45 Years gives both actors ample scope to develop their respective characters and leaves viewers with a poignant picture of a loving couple in the twilight of their lives.