My Life Without Me

Ann, 23 years old, lives a modest life with her two kids and husband in a trailer in her mother's garden. Her life takes a dramatic turn, when her doctor tells her that she has uterine cancer and only two months to live. Realising that her life will never be the same she embarks alone on the journey to the end, determined to fully live the time she has left, tie up any lose ends in her own life, and hope to make preparations to enable everyone else's life to go on without her. Her list of things to do before she dies includes falling in love with a lonely man she once met in a laundrette.

Burdened with her secret but liberated by her new sense of control, Ann's emotional journey leads her to unexpected places and gives her life new meaning: the tender moments, the volatile emotions she must keep inside, the recognition that she has the power to understand and appreciate her own life.

The premise screams out ‘sad and poignant’, yet it succeeds in being a tale of hope. The film doesn't focus on her plight from a medical perspective or one of suffering, but as one of a person coming to grips with the inevitable fact of human existence - death. But the film also serves as a reminder that if we don't open our eyes and look around we may miss life.

Polley (Go!) is impressive in her role as Ann, bringing depth and powerful emotion to the character, backed up by excellent supporting performances. As an audience, we are so accustomed to lacquered perfection in screen actresses that Polley's own beauty, striking whilst unconventional, seems fresh and endearing. The integrity to her looks and her acting allows for an unspoken pact she establishes with the viewer.

Both written and directed by Coixet, and co-produced by Almodovar, the theme of death is a complex subject to explore, yet is handled maturely. Additionally, the paradox that death affects us all yet we know so little about it only contributes to its intricacy. Given this, My Life Without Me demonstrates stunningly how such a tragic event can have positive ramifications.

Phil Lurie