My Life Without Me on DVD (2003)

Philip Concannon from London , 24/11/2004

Ann(Sarah Polley) is a young mother living by modest means with her loving husband(Scott Speedman) and their two young daughters. Ann's happiness is shattered by the news that she's suffering from advanced and incurable cancer. Her response is unusually calm and she decides not to reveal the news to any of her loved ones. Instead she starts to make plans for her remaining time in this world.

On her list is the desire to find love with a different man while she still can. Conveniently, one falls right into her lap, Hollywood's latest rent-a-nice-guy Mark Ruffalo, and he's head-over-heels for her.

This is a film that may leave viewers with a lot of questions. You may question the morality of Ann dying without letting her family know. You may question her decision to let another man fall in love with her when she knows she hasn't got much time left. You may even question how she hopes to keep her secret until the end, when the ravages of her desease will surely be noticeable. You may well ask the questions, because 'My Life Without Me' never does.

Spanish director Isabel Coixet shoots for a dreamlike, abstract profundity but falls flat on her face. There isn't anything believable in this maudlin, self-absorbed movie and it also suffers from a rare poor performance from Sarah Polley. The talented Polley, admittedly saddled with a poorly conceived character, never convinces us that she's dying, or a mother, or in love, and we're left with a void where the main character should be.

This is an endlessly irritating and trite piece of nonsense which has nothing to say on the subject of death, life or love. In fact it shies away from the matter, setting up Ann's husband with a potential future wife(also called, believe it or not, Ann) as if to soften the blow. Emotionally dishonest and, given the subject matter, downright offensive.

  40 out of 51 people found this review helpful

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JedediahLeland from Berkshire , 25/06/2004

The moment I saw Pedro Almodovar's production company, El Deseo, attached to this film I knew that it would have the stamp of quality. Add to this a superb cast including Sarah Polley and Mark Ruffalo and you have a startling new independent film. 'My Life Without Me' is what good cinema should feel like.

The story is simple (a woman with a young family who discovers she is dying from cancer), but the telling is sublime. From the first discovery through her life-affirming 'Ten things to do before I die', Sarah Polley's performance is beautiful, nuanced and deeply moving. Opposite her, the fabulous Mark Ruffalo (recently so brilliant in Jane Campion's 'In The Cut') gives a powerful, detailed performance to perfectly balance Ms.Polley. Both brought a heart-felt tear to my eye on more than one occasion.

This sort of independent American cinema, along with films like 'The Station Agent', provides the originally and filmmaking/acting ability so noticably lacking from main stream American movies. I just hope that the recent resurgence in great indie films will go on and on.

'My life without me' is a triumph. Do not miss it. It will make you want to kiss your kids and tell your partner you love them. Great cinema should always move our very lives.

  24 out of 25 people found this review helpful

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A customer from Dundee, Scotland , 10/06/2004

I loved this film. Sarah's performance was superb as always. It's one of these films that stays with you for a couple days after you watch it. I cried for probably half the movie but out of genuine raw emotion rather than 'manufactured' tears if you know what I mean. It's so amazing what becomes beautiful in the face of death.

I recommend watching this film alone when you've got plenty of time to think - and cry. Probably not everyone's cup of tea but has certainly made it into my top 10.

  20 out of 26 people found this review helpful

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Denisa from Bradford, West Yorkshire , 19/02/2005

Watching this film made me feel very disappointed. I expected a bit more than it offered. Maybe being a bit more true to life?

I have lost two close people to cancer. My sister was only 30 when she died and my dad passed away 3 weeks ago. In both cases it was nothing like this film depicts. Isabel Coixet is glamorising death and cancer in her film more than they deserve.

The film didn?t make me cry. It made me angry because of it?s na?ve view of the world. No doctor would ever give you such accurate results after one ultrasound and there is really no way of telling precisely how much time there is left before death. It tried to be deep and arty? However the end was a typical happy end which was too far from real life again. If you like good quality films, this one will be a let down.

  17 out of 25 people found this review helpful

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