MovieChat Forums > Stories We Tell (2013) Discussion > Polley Gets It Right

Polley Gets It Right

posted 11 years ago by guybennett-1
8 replies | jump to latest

I lump movies crudely into two piles: 1.) those I think about afterwards and 2.) those I don't. This movie got down into my bones in a hurry. The plot mechanics are superb: the story unravels in a series of jolting "reveals". Polley knows the old actor's trick of withholding tears on stage (or film) so that the audience can cry. There's a cool emotional restraint that serves the film well. Stunning work by Rebecca Jenkins as Ms. Polley Sr. I respect Polley's decision not to do interviews. She persuaded her entire family to get naked. What more could we possibly want?

[–] PotassiumMan 11 years ago

Starts out very nice then gets inconsistent. It has tedious moments and then keeps implying that's it going to end, but then just goes on and on and on. Not as great as the reviews would have you believe, but its still worth seeing.

[–] Keely 10 years ago

I felt just the opposite of PotassiumMan - was bored stiff during the first 20 minutes and only stuck with it because of my respect for Polley's previous work as an actress and director. Had no idea where it was going or what was the point. Then I saw what was happening and I couldn't stop watching. As it continued I kept having deeper and deeper thoughts about relationships and truth and life. I thought the end was just right and had me laughing out loud.

[–] PunchB 11 years ago

Stunning work by Rebecca Jenkins as Ms. Polley Sr.

It seems to be a somewhat common misconception that all the archive footage was fake. Rebecca Jenkins only played Diane Polley in the scenes (usually blurry) where we don't see her face very clearly. As the credits also confirm, the archive footage of Diane Polley was real.

[–] bobbobbob123 8 years ago

Rebecca Jenkins only played Diane Polley in the scenes (usually blurry) where we don't see her face very clearly.

Hello from 2016. You couldn't be more wrong.

[–] PunchB 8 years ago

Well, I could be more wrong, but I see that I wasn't entirely right either.

I looked through portions of the movie now. Yes, Rebecca Jenkins plays Diane Polley in some of the Super 8 scenes. First of all she plays her in the scenes that were "re-enactments". Those were the scenes that I recalled as being blurry, with unclear faces. But she also plays Diane in several scenes where we do see her face clearly and which are made to look like real home movies. Looking at those scenes now, it's obvious that it's not Diane Polley, but when I first saw the movie I didn't register it (or maybe I saw it but then failed to remember that those scenes, with un-blurred faces, existed when I wrote my comment some years ago).

It's weird, looking through it now, it's so obvious which scenes are with Rebecca Jenkins and which are with Diane Polley. Their faces are quite different, especially the mouth, but also the nose.

[–] bobbobbob123 8 years ago

I'll stop back in 2019 or so and read your reply.

[–] MvanB 11 years ago

I think it is a great movie. Very cleverly put together, I think everybody who has (lost) family recognizes some thing or another. It's a really brave movie too, it made me cry and laugh.

If you can't see 'em, you know you've got proper invisible runes.

[–] Bodelious 10 years ago

It has its flaws, but very brave movie indeed. What I like about Sarah is that she like telling stories about ppl facing/dealing with their fears, or at least that's what I get from her movies.