My Life Without Me

Would you live your life differently if you knew you only had two months to live? Such is the question posed in the movie, My Life Without Me. I had been considring cancelling my Blockbuster Online subscription as a way to cut expenses. But, my enjoyment of this movie reminded me that maybe I could find another way, or not. I am constantly surprised how many moview there are out there truly worth watching, yet not at all well known. And for me, it seems, the best way to discover them is through online rentals. Isabel Coixet wrote and directed the movie (it was based on a short story by Nancy Kincaid) and the actors include Sarah Polley, Scott Speedman, Amanda Plummer, Deborah Harry ( yes, of Blondie fame), and Mark Ruffalo. Alfred Molino (who, for me, will always be best known for his work in Enchanted April), plays a small part. The movie's sensibilities are more like those of a Spanish or Italian film, which may just be because it was a Spanish/Canadian co-production with help from Pedro Almodóvar's El Deseo production company. It is a sad story told in a straight-forward way with emotion, but little sentimentality. It is subtle, yet touched me deeply (not that I'm not often touched deeply by films, but I like to think that the depth of feeling is consistent with the quality of the film). Sometimes I think if it weren't for good movies, theater and art, I would never find a way to temporarily get away from my own life drama. For this alone I am grateful .