45 Years

One thing you know going into a movie starring Tom Courtenay (age 79) and Charlotte Rampling (70) is that you are going to see some seriously good acting. I remember him for his fantastic performance in Billy Liar, his third film. And she amazed and startled us all with her brave S&M performance opposite Dirk Bogarde in The Damned. And sure enough, she got an Oscar nomination for this role.

They have been married for … well, you can probably guess how long. Then he gets the news that the body of his first love, who fell off a mountain fifty years ago, has been recovered from the ice. It stirs memories, and creates a ghost who increasingly stands between them. She can’t cope with his fascination with what his life was like before they met.

I guess I’m not really the one to comment on this story, other than to say it was well-acted. But to me, the past is the past, and I really don’t think I would ever react as she does. I mean, isn’t it a bit selfish of her after forty-five years of marriage to deny him his fond memories? That’s how I see it, anyway, though I guess a lot of people would find her reaction reasonable. I just don’t, that’s all.