45 Years (2015)

As their 45th wedding anniversary approaches, a husband (Tom Courtenay) receives a letter that will cause his wife (Charlotte Rampling) to reassess their 45 year marriage. Based on the short story IN ANOTHER COUNTRY by David Constantine and adapted for the screen and directed by Andrew Haigh. This is "grown up" film making at its best with two beyond excellent performances by the two leads. It's an incisive look at a seemingly happy marriage that is forever changed in a matter of days. Haigh takes his time and lets the narrative go at a leisurely pace while the audience can only guess how it will all play itself out. Rampling's brilliant performance is extremely subtle and she never crosses over into Oscar bait histrionics. Alas, this may not bode well for her chances at this year's Oscars (she's a best actress nominee) as it may be too subtle for Oscar voters who tend to like actress-y performances. To be fair, the film is clearly from the wife's perspective but it's not unkind to the husband at all. The film's final shot of Rampling is simply devastating.