Director Michael Haneke has said that dealing with the suffering of those we love is something society often ignores, so he's addressed the subject head on in his latest film Amour.
The French film has none of the frilly lace that Hollywood often dresses up its films in, instead Haneke relies on simple acting and simple scenarios, mirroring the life of a real elderly couple. That simplicity and realism, for me, is what made Amour so darn moving.
There are a few scenes in particular which have stuck in my mind since leaving the cinema. The first is when husband Georges has a flashback to before his wife Anne suffered a stroke. She is sitting at their piano playing beautifully. The camera is on her then it turns to him watching her, but he soon realises he's having a daydream and turns off the CD player, which is actually where the beautiful music is coming from. In that moment I challenge anyone not to feel his loss and shed a tear.
Another moment where tissues would have been helpful in the cinema was when Anne refuses to eat the food Georges is trying to feed her. He becomes so fed up with her that he slaps her even though she has become a defenceless vegetable. The scene made the audience gasp, but I'm adamant that even the most patient people watching the film would have done the same thing in that situation. This is Haneke at his best, showing the faults of humans in a brutally honest way.
The chemistry between the actors who play Georges and Anne - Jean-Louis Trintignant and Emmanuelle Riva - is remarkable. As a couple on camera they’re believable and compelling. Haneke has said that he cast the two actors because he knew they’d look and act like a realistic marriage, and his instincts have proven right.
Amour has already won last year’s Palm d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival and two BAFTA Awards, and on Monday New Zealand time it’s up for 5 Academy Awards. One of those nominations is for Riva herself for best actress, a nomination which means the 85 year-old has broken a record for the oldest person ever to be nominated for an Oscar, and after seeing this film my money is on her.
Four and a half stars
Amour
:: Director: Michael Haneke
:: Starring: Emmanuelle Riva, Jean-Louis Trintignant, Isabelle Huppert
:: Running Time: 127 mins
:: Release Date: February 28, 2013
:: Trailer: Watch here
source: newshub archive
