My Life Without Me

When a saint of a woman (Sarah Polley) finds out she has terminal cancer, she makes a list of things to do before she dies. She also vows to not let family and friends know of her condition, the novel twist in this decent film made see-worthy due to fine work by Polley. Just reading a description of this film could make one think that it is a syrupy, melodramatic mess, but Polley and actors like Mark Ruffalo make it worthwhile. The film never goes overboard on the sentiment, and it earns its tears without being manipulative. That said, it isn’t always the most engaging of movies, and writer-director Isabel Coixet could’ve done a little more exploration into Polley’s character motivations. See it for Polley’s incredible acting, a big performance from an actress not afraid to take chances (Hell, she’s going to star in a remake of George Romero’s Dawn of the Dead!). Also starring Deborah Harry (Blondie!) as Polley’s weathered mother and Scott Speedman as her naïve husband.