“Take This Waltz” begins with a sad woman (Michelle Williams) staring into the glow of an oven baking cupcakes. She and her husband (Seth Rogen) have lost that loving feeling after five years of marriage, but they have a good foundation.
However, on a business trip she meets a charming man (Luke Kirby) who is very flirty with her and she with him. They share a cab ride home from the airport. He says he lives in her neighborhood. Just as she exits the cab, she blurts out, “I’m married.” He gets out of the cab on the other side, walks across the street to his house and says, “That’s too bad.” Under her breath, she let’s out an expletive. This could be trouble.
For a time, Michelle and Seth seem to rekindle their relationship, but she can’t resist the temptation to see and talk to her interesting new single neighbor. At the same time, Seth seems more distant than ever as he focuses on writing his cookbook about everything you can do with chicken. They both are getting bored.
The exciting possibilities of new love draw Michelle ever closer to Luke, but as one elderly woman in her water aerobics class tells her, “New things eventually get old.”
Is Michelle’s character willing to trade in one relationship to have a slightly different relationship with another man? It’s a fascinating look at the “greener grass” syndrome.