Watch Charlotte Rampling And Tom Courtenay In New 45 YEARS Trailer

Here’s a first look at the new trailer for Andrew Haigh’s superb 45 YEARS.

The film presents a new take on relationships, old age, forgiveness and jealousy, from a writer/director with a unique insight into relationships. It also presents two performances from treasured stars of British cinema, Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courtenay.

Andrew Haigh’s screenplay is adapted from David Constantine’s short story “In Another Country.”

The film screened at the Toronto International Film Festival in September. In his review, Lou Lumenick (NY Post) says Rampling delivers, “what’s possibly the best scene of her entire career. The actress has never received an Oscar nomination, but she deserves one for this performance. Courtenay, who has two Oscar nods under his belt, rates another one for helping Rampling reach this peak.”

There is just one week until Kate Mercer’s (Rampling) 45th wedding anniversary and the planning for the party is going well. But then a letter arrives for her husband (Courtenay). The body of his first love has been discovered, frozen and preserved in the icy glaciers of the Swiss Alps. By the time the party is upon them, five days later, there may not be a marriage left to celebrate.

Haigh’s film captures, with haunting acuity, just how vulnerable their marriage becomes when past pain surfaces and past jealousy is reawakened.

If Haigh’s previous feature film, 2011’s highly-acclaimed WEEKEND, depicted a barely-begun relationship that may or may not go on to flourish beyond the titular two-day span, this follow-up feature takes the opposite narrative tack. The concerns of 45 YEARS, however, are unexpectedly similar to those of Haigh’s memorable breakout film. How does trust establish itself, and love express itself? How close can we get to another, and how much should we expect to always operate alone?

In his appreciation for these two actors, Haigh says, “Charlotte is a fiercely intelligent actress. She knows what feels truthful and what does not. When I watch her on screen I see a hurricane of emotion under the surface, behind those eyes. You are invited to observe but also warned to keep your distance. That feels incredibly true to me. They are things all of us should keep to ourselves.”

Haigh continues, “There is vulnerability to Tom and to his performance. The last thing I wanted for this film was an angry man raging at the world; I’ve seen that on screen too many times before. I wanted something more complex, something more sensitive. Here is a character struggling with his own sense of self, not the villain of the piece. Hopefully in 45 Years there are no villains, just people trying to figure things out.”

Leave some space on your ballots come awards season for the film, actors, screenplay and director.

45 YEARS opens in theaters on December 23rd.