When Andrew Haigh's minimalist gay drama "Weekend" premiered at the SXSW Film Festival in 2011, nobody could have predicted that four years later, Haigh would be working with a pair of iconic actors from a very different generation. Yet "45 Years," Haigh's first feature since "Weekend," became a breakout indie hit and the filmmaker created the HBO show "Looking," confirms that he's a major talent with serious range.
Based on a short story about an aging married couple celebrating the eponymous anniversary, "45 Years" showcases the formidable chemistry of Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courtenay, but it's Haigh's wonderfully nuanced script that gives the actors their best material in years.
The central conflict in "45 Years" stems from a confession from Courtenay's character about the fate of a long-dead lover, and the impact this revelation has on his devoted wife. From this basic tension, however, Haigh develops a marvelously complex set of circumstances, from late night dance sessions to passive-aggressive debates about honesty to passing glances that speak louder than words. A delicate, textured achievement riddled with the ambiguities of longterm relationships, "45 Years" is the work of a masterful storyteller who reminds us that it's not what movies are about that makes them worth watching, but how they're about it. And more of them should be like this.
Below, Haigh talks about some of the most critical choices of his career and what he considers to be his "directing style."
Photo credit: Daniel Bergeron