Rent My Life Without Me (2003)
3.6 of 5 from 103 ratings
1h 42min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
- For some of us there is a moment when we realise we really can make a difference. For Ann, that moment is about to dawn. Married to her childhood sweetheart, with two kids and trapped in a dead-end job, the 23 year old is determined not to follow in her own mother's footsteps and have nothing to look back on but a history of broken dreams. Then a medical check-up reveals some tragic news. Determined to tell no-one, Ann concentrates instead on making a list of things she has always wanted to do. One by one she fulfils her promises, knowing that she is making things better ... not just for herself, but also for everyone she holds dear.
- Actors:
- Sarah Polley, Scott Speedman, Mark Ruffalo, Amanda Plummer, Leonor Watling, Deborah Harry, Maria de Medeiros, Julian Richings, Kenya Jo Kennedy, Jessica Amlee, Esther García, Camille Martinez, María Cami, Deanne Henry, Gillian Barber, Errin Clutton, Jerry Thompson, Morgan Brayton, Sam Barnett, Lauren Diewold
- Directors:
- Isabel Coixet
- Writers:
- Isabel Coixet, Nanci Kincaid
- Studio:
- In 2 Film
- Genres:
- Drama
- Collections:
- The Instant Expert's Guide, The Instant Expert's Guide to Pedro Almodóvar
- Countries:
- Canada
- Awards:
More like My Life Without Me
Reviews (2) of My Life Without Me
A moving, thoughtful and beautifully crafted indie drama. - My Life Without Me review by CP Customer
Ann is a happily married 23 year old woman with two young girls, she works as a night cleaner in the local university and lives in a trailer at the bottom of her mother's backyard. After collapsing at home with stomach pains, she's taken to hospital for tests and then told she has ovarian cancer which has spread to her stomach and liver and has at best two months to live. She calmly decides not to tell anyone about the seriousness of her illness, tells family and friends she is suffering from mild anaemia and decides to make a list of things she needs to do before she dies, which include recording birthday messages for her children for every year until they're 18, finding a new wife for her husband, and having sex with another man to see what it's like. This is a beautifully crafted drama which avoids all the usual Hollywood clichés and portrays Ann as a young woman in a completely honest and natural way. The direction from Isabel Coixet is exceptional; managing to take a sensitive and emotional issue and bring it down to a very human story which has equal measures of sadness and life-affirming humour. Undoubtedly one the best scenes in the film is the moment when Ann is told that she has terminal cancer, which highlights both Coixet's self-assurance as a director and the unwavering confidence she had in her leading actress to shoot the entire scene in close-up, Sarah Polley's reaction as Ann is told of her plight was simply outstanding. Overall, this is a superb indie drama which is one of those films which hang in your mind days after watching it leaving your with your own questions on Ann's choices and while some of them are morally questionable, as a viewer it's near impossible to pass judgement on her actions; if you were 23 with a young family and had just two months to live wouldn't you have deserved the right to do some things purely for yourself?
3 out of 4 members found this review helpful.
This movie lacks emotion - My Life Without Me review by CP Customer
It's about a woman who is told by a doctor that she has two months to live. I found the whole film just lacked emotion. She had a husband, two children and when she found out she was dying, a lover. This alone makes for a great film with such a powerful story. The subject matter should have left us DVD viewers drained and dripping with emotion. No hankies out for this one. Low budget low pace and I'll give it low marks.
0 out of 1 members found this review helpful.