Fans of writer/director Andrew Haigh know that it’s only a matter of time until he catches on big. We True Believers have been waiting very patiently until the rest of you learn his name, dead certain it’ll happen—the proof is in 2011’s Weekend, a romantic little two-hander about two men whose one-night stand blooms unexpectedly, and Looking, Haigh’s terrific HBO series about gay men in San Francisco. (Side note for Portland lit-nerds: Haigh is also slated to direct the film adaptation of Lean on Pete, local author Willy Vlautin’s unflinching take on a boy-and-his-horse novel. *eeeeee*)
With 45 Years—which got a best-actress Oscar nod for Charlotte Rampling’s performance—Haigh’s one step closer to becoming the household name he should be. His work is perceptive and compelling, subtle and sexy. He makes movies for the nosy—for those of us who turn down our headphones to eavesdrop on couples fighting on the bus. His characters roil with insecurities and needs they sometimes haven’t even articulated to themselves. The comedy and tragedy comes from watching those impulses work their way to the surface.