Something very positive happens in Hollywood and Indy films lately. Strong female roles ceased to be rare roles that are usually portrayed by Jodie Foster. More and more, lately, there is an abundance of strong female characters and more importantly, many actresses who can do these roles the justice they (both roles and actresses) deserve. Today there is a tremendous buzz over Scarlet Johansson (assuming she didn't waste it all on "The perfect score" which hadn't been released in Israel, yet). But Scarlet is not the only member on the ever growing list of actresses in their 20's with the maturity I'll probably never have (and I'm entering to my 30's),other actresses that pop into mind are Piper perabo (Lost and delirious),Maggie Gylenhaal (Secretary, Mona lisa smile) and Thora Birch (American beauty, Ghost world) to name just a few.

In this film a "new" actress named Sarah Polley (she has the filmography many veteran actresses wish to have) emerges successfully from the pernicious world of child acting into a mature woman for her age which is, coincidentally the basic premise of the character she portrays.

Ann is a 23 year old mother who is notified that because of a malignant tumour, her death is near. Ann decides, after her initial shock (maybe the best scene in the film) to accomplish a couple of assignments before passing away, one of which is to conceal the fact of her illness from her family in the rationalization of sparing them the endless hours of waiting in hospital friendly corridors and consuming hospital gourmet food. Ann spends the last two months of her life patching things with her long incarcerated father, develop a romantic fling with a pensive heart broken guy (Mark Ruffalo) and looks for an agreeable sucssessor mother to her family, among other things. This film has the idea and the cast to make it one of the best films 2003 had to offer but somewhere along the line, the emotional charge that this plot encompasses never comes to full exploitation and i found myself wondering if the movie's writer/director Isabel Coixet (i have no idea how to pronounce this name),in her attempt to make the movie optimistic and not just outright depressing, wrongfully decided to avoid emotional obstacles in her script and her direction. Another detail that bothers me in the film is what I refer to as the "Hollywooditis decease". This decease is a terminal one, but those who get it look absolutely great until the very last day of their lives. I don't pretend to be a doctor but it seems to me that a person with terminal cancer can't explain his/her fatigue simply by Anemia, Ann's cover story.

But I dwell on the negative and in films its usually a dumn thing to do. The right thing to do is to make the overall judgement, the film is undoubtly good, Polley's performance is excellent and Debby Harry (Blondie's lead singer) is surprisingly good, but the movie leaves the viewer with the feeling it had the potential of being a masterpiece, which it isn't.

8.5 out of 10 in my FilmOmeter

Ann (Sarah Polley) lives with her two kids and her one and only lover husband (Scott Speedman) in a trailer. Then she gets uterine cancer and only two months to live. To deal, she draws up a list of things to do before she dies. She makes tapes to be played by her daughters on their birthdays, finds a new wife for her husband after her death, and have an affair.

Isabel Coixet writes/directs this sentimental film. Mark Ruffalo, Amanda Plummer, and Deborah Harry also star in this drama. It's definitely a high concept movie. Sarah Polley plays tired and beaten down very well. The pace is slow. The tension doesn't really build. The ending is pretty much pre-ordained. A few surprises would have been helpful.

The young Ann (Sarah Polley) has a simple, but happy life with her husband Don (Scott Speedman) and her two daughters, Penny and Petsy. Ann works as a janitor in the nightshift, cleaning the rooms of a university, Don builds swimming pools and they live in a trailer in the backyard of Ann's mother. When Ann goes to the doctor expecting to be pregnant, she is informed that indeed she has a terminal cancer, lasting a maximum of two weeks. She hides the information from her family and prepares for her death, making a list of ten outstanding subjects in her life, including preparing tapes for the birthdays of her daughters until they are eighteen years old; eating and drinking whatever she wants; telling only the truth; finding a new wife to her husband; visiting her father in the penitentiary; and making love with another man.

When I started seeing this movie, I immediately recalled Michael Keaton's "My Life". But indeed, only part of the storyline, regarding a terminal ill person preparing for the death, is similar. It is impossible not adoring "My Life Without You". The first point for loving this movie is the outstanding direction of Isabel Coixet and performance of the cast, having inclusive the uncredited and magnificent participation of Alfred Molina, as the father of Ann, in one of the most touching scenes along the film. I do not know the criteria of the Academy to select the nominations for the Oscar, but I believe Sarah Polley deserved at least a nomination for her acting. The story, although dealing with a delicate theme, is very beautiful, sensitive, positive and never corny, due to the sensibility of Isabel Coixet. The two young girls (Jessica Amlee and Kenya Jo Kennedy) are amazing, being very natural and convincing in their performances. The soundtrack, with sad but lovely songs, completes this wonderful film. I have never heard about Siamese babies of different sexes, but I am not sure whether it is possible. My vote is eight, but I am not sure whether I am being fair.

Title (Brazil): "Minha Vida Sem Mim" ("My Life Without Me")