By Néstor Bentancor.

If you are reading these lines you probably know that there are three versions of this story centered around a marriage’s journey through a very difficult time. Two separate films were originally created: “Her” which follows the Eleanor of the title (Jessica Chastain), and “Him” from the perspective of her husband, Conor (James McAvoy). The film that I saw and the one that has been released in theaters is “Them,” a special cut that combines both points of views to present a more traditional narrative.

Because your enjoyment can be diminished by knowing pretty much anything about the plot I will be brief in that regard. To make the audience experience the same kind of disorientation that the main characters are going through, information is given slowly throughout the movie. Even the fact that they are wife and husband isn’t specified at the very beginning. We are left to wonder, to speculate about their past and guess their future.

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Contrary to the marketing campaign, this movie isn’t a mystery thriller nor a romantic tale. There are only a couple of scenes depicting their romance at very early stages in their relationship. The “love story” label is more accurate, but this story has to do more with the broadest definition of “Love”.
How can we overcome loss? How much of our own identity is defined by our life partners? Have our parents provided us with the tools to deal with others, and, more importantly, ourselves? These are the questions that writer-director Ned Benson is interested in exploring.

Chastain and McAvoy make the most out of the witty, rich and believable dialogue, making their respective characters enjoyable and engaging with their own natural likability. The supporting cast is equally impressive: Viola Davis, William Hurt and Ciarán Hinds, all of them have their chance to shine. Isabelle Huppert as Eleanor’s mother was a bit distracting, playing such an stereotypical French woman that I couldn’t help but remember Robin Williams’s impersonations of the Europeans.

Technically beautiful and ambitious “The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby” is a very impressive feature film debut for Benson, who crafted a well rounded drama that deals with complex and sensitive topics like death, depression and second chances in an adult, honest, subtle and profound way. It may leave you emotionally exhausted, but its marks won’t easily disappear.