45 Years

Set in the rural Norfolk countryside, Andrew Haigh's emotional drama revolves around a middle-class English couple who are preparing to celebrate their 45th anniversary when the arrival of a mysterious letter shakes the foundation of their seemingly idyllic marriage. Kate (Charlotte Rampling) and Geoff (Tom Courtenay) are stunned when an official dispatch from Switzerland informs Geoff that the body of his former German girlfriend, Katya, has been found. Back in 1962, when Geoff and Katya were hiking in the Alps, Katya fell into a fissure in a glacier. Since they were pretending to be married, Geoff was officially listed as her next of kin and, as such, has been asked to identify Katya's recently recovered corpse. After receiving the disturbing news, Geoff becomes increasingly preoccupied with memories of Katya, and he confesses that he would have married Katya had she lived. Noting, “I can hardly be cross with something that happened before we existed, can I?” the emotionally strained, increasingly jealous Kate nevertheless feels compelled to search the attic for Alpine photographs of Katya, one of which reveals that she was pregnant at the time of her death. Significantly, Kate and Geoff are childless, devoted only to each other and their Alsatian dog Max. Adapting “In Another Country” from David Constantine's 2005 Under the Dam short-story collection, writer-director Haigh compassionately explores the natural complexities of intimacy, with fine performances from Oscar nominee Rampling and Courtenay. Recommended. (S. Granger)[Blu-ray/DVD Review—Mar. 7, 2017—Criterion, 95 min., R, DVD: $29.95, Blu-ray: $39.95—Making its second appearance on DVD and Blu-ray, 2015's 45 Years features a great transfer and a DTS-HD 5.1 soundtrack on the Blu-ray release. Extras include audio commentary by director Andrew Haigh and producer Tristan Goligher, a “making-of” featurette (31 min.), an interview with author David Constantine (13 min.), a trailer, and an essay by critic Ella Taylor. Bottom line: a fine edition of this quietly compelling relationship drama.]