I’ve been harping on Sarah Polley’s latest documentaryish feature since seeing it last year, but now that it’s finally getting a US release this month, beginning in New York and then expanding the following week, it deserves to be talked about some more. Those who have seen it are touting it as one of the must-see movies of the year for fans of smaller independently minded and funded films, and if you’ve seen or heard anything about Polley’s other two directorial efforts, Away from Her and Take This Waltz, this should come as no surprise.
Stories We Tell is a marvelous little film that seems like just a personal project by an indie filmmaker looking to experiment with some ideas but it becomes so much more. What starts out as a simple but lovely portrait of Polley’s mother soon starts to expand to include her entire family until it becomes a compelling examination of the role of stories in the way we understand our lives and the world around us. It’s rare to see something this truthful and enjoyable tackle ideas that are extremely difficult to articulate, including one of the most immediate and elusive: the family dynamic. This is probably the best documentary-type movie to come out since Exit Through the Gift Shop. I can’t say enough good things about it and hope it’s received as warmly in the US as it has been in Polley’s home of Canada.
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