Rebecca Jenkins

Sarah Polley

108 mins.
Documentary
May 10, 2013

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements involving sexuality, brief strong language and smoking. (MPAA)

“Stories We Tell” explores a touchy subject for the family of director Sarah Polley – her paternity. While this could have been done with total seriousness, all of the interviewees bring lots of humor along with honesty. That’s refreshing and quietly brutal in its own way (Sarah’s dad alludes to his daughter’s viciousness as a director). There are serious moments, but they’re balanced with lighter moments. This film has an effortlessness, as a result. In addition, Polley paints a portrait of an ordinary family, despite that family’s brushes with the matriarch’s infidelity – this could be anyone’s story.

The only principal subject not involved is Polley’s mother, who died of cancer (during the week of Sarah’s 11th birthday) years before Sarah knew that her dad wasn’t her biological father. In order to bring her mother to life and to create a nuanced portrait of who she was, Polley allows her interviewees to individually recall their experiences of and with her mother. Polly’s mother definitely wanted to have freedom in her life, especially the freedom to love. Supposedly, she was the first Canadian woman to lose custody of her kids as a result of infidelity during her divorce from her first husband (not Sarah’s dad, whom she never divorced).

Also, Polley provides footage in the style of home video, which is highly effective. (Possible Spoiler Alert!) At times, I didn’t know whether the footage was from an actual home video or not: That’s one of the twists in this film. (End of Possible Spoiler Alert!) Another thing that works in this film’s favor is Polley’s use of voice-overs: her own (though she reveals nothing about her inner thoughts in this film), her dad’s, and her biological father’s. (Her dad’s voice-over recording session’s footage is used throughout the film, as well.)

Polley’s biological father provides one of the most crucial responses in this film: He states that he doesn’t like the premise of this film at all. He believes that his perspective is the correct perspective from which to tell the truth of the matter with absolute clarity. He doesn’t hesitate to say this or show any sense of shame.

Polley’s response is that she wants to explore how people tell stories about their past, not simply recount the story of her discovery of her biological father. I think that she was correct, because this documentary’s message turns out to be universal as a result of its presentation: Everyone has secrets; everyone has a faulty memory.

As a director, Polley has a unique perspective. Her films tackle difficult subjects with a light touch. This film won’t bowl you over, and it may be a tad too long; but it may also make you think about how your identity is shaped by the relationships you have with others and how you choose to discuss and display it to the world.

Verdict: Good

About: (Source: storieswetell)

In this inspired, genre-twisting new film, Oscar®-nominated writer/director Sarah Polley discovers that the truth depends on who’s telling it. Polley is both filmmaker and detective as she investigates the secrets kept by a family of storytellers. She playfully interviews and interrogates a cast of characters of varying reliability, eliciting refreshingly candid, yet mostly contradictory, answers to the same questions. As each relates their version of the family mythology, present-day recollections shift into nostalgia-tinged glimpses of their mother, who departed too soon, leaving a trail of unanswered questions. Polley unravels the paradoxes to reveal the essence of family: always complicated, warmly messy and fiercely loving. Stories We Tell explores the elusive nature of truth and memory, but at its core is a deeply personal film about how our narratives shape and define us as individuals and families, all interconnecting to paint a profound, funny and poignant picture of the larger human story.