45 Years Explained

45 Years
Director:Andrew Haigh
Producer:Tristan Goligher
Screenplay:Andrew Haigh
Based On:[1]
Cinematography:Lol Crawley
Editing:Jonathan Alberts
Studio:Film4
BFI
Creative England
The Bureau
Distributor:Artificial Eye
Runtime:95 minutes[2]
Country:United Kingdom
Language:English
Gross:$14.2 million[3]

45 Years is a 2015 British romantic drama film written and directed by Andrew Haigh. It is based on the short story "In Another Country" by David Constantine.[1] [4]

45 Years premiered in the main competition section of the 65th Berlin International Film Festival,[5] where Charlotte Rampling won the Silver Bear for Best Actress and Tom Courtenay for Best Actor.[6] It was released in the United Kingdom on 28 August 2015 and went on to gross $14.2 million worldwide.[7] At the 88th Academy Awards, Rampling received a nomination for Best Actress in a Leading Role.[8]

Plot

Five years after retirees Kate and Geoff Mercer had to cancel their 40th wedding anniversary because of Geoff's heart bypass surgery, the comfortably-off, childless Norfolk couple are preparing to celebrate their 45th anniversary with dozens of friends at the Assembly House in Norwich. Their morning is somewhat disturbed when Geoff opens a letter telling him that the body of Katya, his German lover in the early 1960s before meeting Kate, has become visible in a melting glacier where she fell into a crevasse on their hike in Switzerland over five decades ago.

Kate has been told about Katya previously by Geoff and seems initially unconcerned by his controlled disquiet. Geoff tells Kate that he and Katya had pretended to be married in order to be able to share a room in the more puritanical early 1960s. Because of this, the Swiss authorities consider him to be Katya's next of kin.

As the days pass and preparations for the party continue, Geoff continues to be moody and starts smoking again. One night, Geoff climbs into the attic to look at his memorabilia of Katya and only reluctantly shows a picture of her to an angrily insistent Kate. Kate notices that Katya looks like her when she was young, with similar dark hair.

While Geoff is out at a reunion luncheon at his former workplace, Kate climbs the ladder to the attic. She finds Geoff's scrapbook filled with memorabilia from his time with Katya, including pressed violets from their last hike. She finds a carousel slide projector, loaded with images of Switzerland and Katya, next to a makeshift screen to view them. Kate is shocked to see slides showing that Katya was pregnant at the time of her death.

Kate also takes up smoking again and, upon learning of his visit to the local travel agency to inquire about trips to Switzerland, confronts Geoff about his recent behavior. Though she does not reveal what she saw in the attic, she does say that she now feels as though many of their decisions as a couple were, without her awareness, influenced by Geoff's experiences with Katya. Geoff promises their marriage will "start again", which he marks the next morning by serving Kate tea in bed and making her breakfast. They attend their anniversary party in the historic Grand Hall, and Geoff delivers a tearful speech in which he professes his love for Kate.

The first dance is announced, accompanied by the same first song from Kate and Geoff's wedding, "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" by The Platters. While they slow dance, Geoff becomes silly and playful, but Kate becomes increasingly awkward and rigid. As the song ends and Geoff raises their hands together in the air to cheers from the guests, Kate yanks her arm down. Geoff, apparently oblivious, dances away, leaving Kate standing alone amid the mass of people on the dance floor.

Production

Filming took place over 6 weeks, concluding in May 2014.[9] [10]

Reception

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 97% of 212 critics' reviews of the film are positive, with an average rating of 8.6/10; the site's "critics consensus" reads: "45 Years offers richly thought-provoking rewards for fans of adult cinema – and a mesmerizing acting showcase for leads Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courtenay."[11] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 94 out of 100 based on reviews from 36 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[12]

In a review in The Observer, Mark Kermode described the film as a "subtle examination of the persistence of the past and the fragile (in)stability of the present", arguing that the lead performances "turn an apparently everyday story of a marriage in quiet crisis into something rather extraordinary." He concluded by observing that, "Like the final shot of The Long Good Friday, which lingers upon Bob Hoskins's face as he revisits the events that brought him to this sorry pass, 45 Years shows us the past materialising in the expressions of those trapped in the present, staring into an uncertain future."[13]

Accolades

Award / Film FestivalCategoryRecipients and nomineesResult
Academy AwardsBest ActressCharlotte Rampling
Berlin International Film FestivalTom Courtenay
Best ActressCharlotte Rampling
Golden BearAndrew Haigh
British Academy Film Awards[14] Outstanding British FilmAndrew Haigh, Tristan Goligher
British Independent Film Awards[15] 45 Years
Best DirectorAndrew Haigh
Best ActressCharlotte Rampling
Best ActorTom Courtenay
Best ScreenplayAndrew Haigh
Producer of the YearTristan Goligher
Boston Society of Film Critics[16] Best ActressCharlotte Rampling
Chicago Film Critics Association[17] Best ActressCharlotte Rampling
Critics' Choice Awards[18] Best ActressCharlotte Rampling
Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association[19] Best ActressCharlotte Rampling
David di Donatello[20] Best European Film45 Years
Dorian Awards[21] Performance Of The Year — ActressCharlotte Rampling
Dublin Film Critics' Circle[22] Best ActorTom Courtenay
Edinburgh International Film Festival[23] Best Performance in a British Feature FilmCharlotte Rampling
Michael Powell Award for Best British Feature FilmAndrew Haigh
Empire Awards[24] Best British Film45 Years
European Film Awards[25] Best European ActorTom Courtenay
Best European ActressCharlotte Rampling
Best European ScreenwriterAndrew Haigh
Evening Standard British Film Awards[26] [27] Best Film45 Years
Best ActorTom Courtenay
Best ActressCharlotte Rampling
Editor's Award45 Years
Florida Film Critics Circle[28] Best ActressCharlotte Rampling
Indiewire Critics Poll[29] Best Lead ActressCharlotte Rampling
Best Lead ActorTom Courtenay
Irish Film & Television Awards[30] Best International ActressCharlotte Rampling
London Film Critics' Circle[31] Film of the Year45 Years
British / Irish Film of the Year45 Years
Director of the YearAndrew Haigh
Actress of the YearCharlotte Rampling
Actor of the YearTom Courtenay
British / Irish Actress of the YearCharlotte Rampling
Los Angeles Film Critics Association[32] Best ActressCharlotte Rampling
National Board of Review[33] Top Ten Independent Films45 Years
National Society of Film Critics[34] Best ActressCharlotte Rampling
New York Film Critics Online[35] Top 10 Films45 Years
Online Film Critics Society[36] Best ActressCharlotte Rampling
San Diego Film Critics Society[37] Best ActressCharlotte Rampling
San Francisco Film Critics Circle[38] Best ActressCharlotte Rampling
Best Adapted ScreenplayAndrew Haigh
Valladolid Film Festival[39] Best ActressCharlotte Rampling

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: The true story (behind the story) that inspired 45 Years. Joe. Shute. 29 August 2015. 2 March 2018. www.telegraph.co.uk. https://web.archive.org/web/20180302104029/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/11832861/The-true-story-behind-the-story-that-inspired-45-Years.html. 2 March 2018. live.
  2. Web site: 45 Years (15) . . 24 June 2015 . 24 June 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180614131822/http://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/45-years-film . 14 June 2018 . dead .
  3. Web site: 45 Years (2015) . . 21 March 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160820180857/http://www.the-numbers.com/movie/45-Years#tab=summary . 20 August 2016 . live .
  4. Web site: Berlin Film Review: '45 Years'. 6 February 2015. 30 July 2015. Variety. Gant. Charles. https://web.archive.org/web/20150717093714/http://variety.com/2015/film/festivals/berlin-film-review-45-years-1201424789/. 17 July 2015. live.
  5. Web site: Berlinale 2015: Malick, Dresen, Greenaway and German in Competition . 25 December 2014 . Berlinale . https://web.archive.org/web/20150208075411/https://www.berlinale.de/en/presse/pressemitteilungen/alle/Alle-Detail_25493.html . 8 February 2015 . live .
  6. Web site: Prizes of the International Jury . 14 February 2015 . Berlinale . https://web.archive.org/web/20160603004804/http://www.berlinale.de/en/das_festival/preise_und_juries/preise_internationale_jury/index.html . 3 June 2016 . live .
  7. Web site: 45 Years. IFC Films. 16 February 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160221043416/http://www.ifcfilms.com/films/45-years. 21 February 2016. live.
  8. Web site: Oscar Nominations: The Complete List. The Hollywood Reporter. 14 January 2016.
  9. Web site: Barraclough . Leo . 2014-02-11 . Charlotte Rampling, Tom Courtenay to Star in '45 Years,' Directed by 'Looking' Helmer Andrew Haigh (EXCLUSIVE) . 2022-11-26 . Variety . en-US.
  10. Web site: Heeney . Alex . 2021-09-30 . Director Andrew Haigh reflects on Weekend ten years later . 2022-11-26 . Seventh Row . en-CA.
  11. Web site: 45 Years (2015) . . . 23 November 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171127042254/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/45_years/ . 27 November 2017 . live .
  12. Web site: 45 Years. Metacritic. 2 February 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20170711052704/http://www.metacritic.com/movie/45-years. 11 July 2017. live.
  13. News: 45 Years review – a very stylish marriage. Mark. Kermode. The Guardian . 30 August 2015. 18 June 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160609201225/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/aug/30/45-years-charlotte-rampling-tom-courtenay-review-mark-kermode. 9 June 2016. live.
  14. Web site: Baftas 2016: full list of nominations. The Guardian. 8 January 2016. 10 December 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20180616203856/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/jan/08/baftas-2016-full-list-of-nominations. 16 June 2018. live.
  15. Web site: The Lobster on a roll with seven British independent film awards nominations. The Guardian. 3 November 2015. 10 December 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20190301013325/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/nov/03/the-lobster-british-independent-film-awards-nominations. 1 March 2019. live.
  16. Web site: 'Spotlight' Named Best Film of 2015 by Boston Society of Film Critics. 6 December 2015. Variety. 10 December 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20160411024441/http://variety.com/2015/film/in-contention/spotlight-named-best-film-of-2015-by-boston-society-of-film-critics-1201655050/. 11 April 2016. live.
  17. Web site: "Mad Max: Fury Road" Leads The Race For 2015 CFCA Awards. 14 December 2015. Chicago Film Critics Association. 14 December 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150430034210/http://www.chicagofilmcritics.org/. 30 April 2015. live.
  18. Web site: Critics' Choice Awards Mad For 'Max' But Produces Few Shockers In First Combined Nominations For TV & Film. 14 December 2015. Deadline. 14 December 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151215222616/http://deadline.com/2015/12/critics-choice-awards-mad-max-fury-road-no-shockers-movies-tv-1201666281/. 15 December 2015. live.
  19. Web site: Dallas-fort Worth Film Critics Name "Spotlight" Best Picture Of 2015. 14 December 2015. Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association. 15 December 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151221173418/http://www.dfwcritics.com/dallas-fort-worth-film-critics-name-spotlight-best-picture-of-2015/. 21 December 2015. live.
  20. Web site: Film dell'unione europea. David di Donatello. 2 April 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160328213812/http://www.daviddidonatello.it/vincitori/film-europei-vincitori.php. 28 March 2016. live.
  21. Web site: 'Carol' Earns Multiple Mentions as Dorian Award Nominees Are Unveiled. 12 January 2016. The Hollywood Reporter. 13 January 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160507135940/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/carol-earns-multiple-mentions-as-855069. 7 May 2016. live.
  22. Web site: 2015 Dublin Film Critics Circle Awards Announced. 22 December 2015. entertainment.ie. 22 December 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151223085743/http://entertainment.ie/cinema/news/2015-Dublin-Film-Critics-Circle-Awards-Announced/374532.htm. 23 December 2015. live.
  23. News: 45 Years scoops Edinburgh film festival's top award . The Guardian . 26 June 2015 . 10 December 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170227110207/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/jun/26/45-years-wins-edinburgh-film-festival-charlotte-rampling . 27 February 2017 . live . Pulver . Andrew .
  24. Web site: Empire Awards nominations 2016: Mad Max and Star Wars lead the pack as Leonardo DiCaprio nominated for Best Actor. 18 February 2016. London Evening Standard. 4 April 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20170529033233/http://www.standard.co.uk/showbiz/celebrity-news/empire-awards-nominations-2016-a3183191.html. 29 May 2017. live.
  25. Web site: 'Youth,' 'The Lobster' Lead European Film Award Nominations . 7 November 2015 . . 10 December 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190301013406/https://variety.com/2015/film/in-contention/european-film-award-nominations-efa-youth-the-lobster-1201635797/ . 1 March 2019 . live .
  26. Web site: Evening Standard British Film Awards: The longlist. 22 December 2015. London Evening Standard. 4 April 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20171030004104/https://www.standard.co.uk/goingout/film/evening-standard-british-film-awards-the-full-list-of-nominees-a3142661.html. 30 October 2017. live.
  27. Web site: Evening Standard British Film Awards 2016: Idris Elba and Dame Maggie Smith lead list of winners. 7 February 2016. London Evening Standard. 4 April 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20170708013431/http://www.standard.co.uk/goingout/film/evening-standard-british-film-awards-2016-idris-elba-and-dame-maggie-smith-lead-list-of-winners-a3174206.html. 8 July 2017. live.
  28. Web site: 'Carol' leads 2015 Florida Film Critics Awards Nominations. 21 December 2015. Florida Film Critics Circle. 22 December 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151222185453/http://www.floridafilmcritics.com/2015/12/21/carol-leads-2015-florida-film-critics-awards-nominations/. 22 December 2015. live.
  29. Web site: Indiewire 2015 Year-End Critics Poll. Indiewire. 21 January 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160119150054/http://www.indiewire.com/survey/indiewire-2015-year-end-critics-poll/. 19 January 2016. live.
  30. Web site: IFTA 2016 Nominees. IFTA. 2 April 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20171115001457/http://ifta.ie/awards/nominees_2016/index.html. 15 November 2017. live.
  31. Web site: 'Carol,' '45 Years' and Tom Hardy Lead London Critics' Nominations. Variety. 15 December 2015. 10 December 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20180612142750/https://variety.com/2015/film/in-contention/carol-45-years-and-tom-hardy-lead-london-critics-nominations-1201661539/. 12 June 2018. live.
  32. Web site: LAFCA awards best picture prize to 'Spotlight'. 6 December 2015. Screendaily. 7 December 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20160202191310/http://www.screendaily.com/awards/lafca-awards-best-picture-prize-to-spotlight/5097678.article. 2 February 2016. live.
  33. Web site: 'Mad Max: Fury Road' Named Best Film By National Board Of Review; 'The Martian' Grabs Three Awards. Deadline. December 2015 . 21 January 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160126211851/https://deadline.com/2015/12/national-board-of-review-2015-winners-1201647607/. 26 January 2016. live.
  34. Web site: National Society of Film Critics Names 'Spotlight' Best Picture. 3 January 2016. The Hollywood Reporter. 3 January 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160106213558/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/national-society-film-critics-2016-851756. 6 January 2016. live.
  35. Web site: New York Film Critics Online Name 'Spotlight' Best Film of the Year. 6 December 2015. Variety. 10 December 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20151208193915/http://variety.com/2015/film/news/new-york-film-critics-online-winners-list-spotlight-1201655190/. 8 December 2015. live.
  36. Web site: "Carol" and "Sicario" Lead the 19th OFCS Nominations. 7 December 2015. OFCS. 7 December 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20161109031651/http://www.ofcs.org/carol-and-sicario-lead-the-19th-ofcs-nominations/. 9 November 2016. live.
  37. Web site: 2015 San Diego Film Critics Society's Award Nominations. 11 December 2015. San Diego Film Critics Society. 12 December 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20160411031753/http://www.sdfcs.org/2015-san-diego-film-critics-society-award-nominations/. 11 April 2016. dead.
  38. Web site: 2015 San Francisco Film Critics Circle Awards. 13 December 2015. San Francisco Film Critics Circle. 14 December 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20180119111601/http://sffcc.org/. 19 January 2018. live.
  39. Web site: Rams' humanism wins over the jury at Valladolid . Cineuropa . 2 November 2015 . 21 January 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160125105509/http://cineuropa.org/nw.aspx?t=newsdetail&l=en&did=300896 . 25 January 2016 . live .

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