Amour (B+ or 3/4 stars)
In 'Amour', writer/director Michael Haneke has made a poignant, but difficult-to-watch drama about love, a long-lived marriage, illness, care giving, & death. Georges (Jean-Louis Trintignant) & Anne (Emmanuelle Riva) are retired piano teachers in their 80s. One Parisian evening, they attend a piano recital given by one of their gifted students and, after returning home on an emotional high, Georges compliments Anne on how pretty she looks. It is small intimate moments like this that show their long-term commitment. The next morning as they eat breakfast, Georges notices Anne not responding to him as she stares blankly at the wall.
Panicked, he wets a cloth & pats her face & neck. When she still doesn't respond, he goes to call for help. When he hears movement in the kitchen, he returns to find Anne unaware that anything has happened. It turns out she has had a stroke. She is then admitted to the hospital for a procedure to help clear her carotid artery ... but it doesn't work. Another stroke leaves the right side of her body paralyzed. But she never wants to go to a hospital again.
For a while, Georges' discipline & patience carries him through the ordeal of Anne's declining physical/emotional state. He tenderly attends to all her needs and, although she stubbornly rebels against being so dependent on him, there is no other way for her to exist. Their daughter Eva (Isabelle Huppert) visits, and while she has a hard time accepting her mother's debilitating condition, she also doesn't have any brilliant ideas/plans to help the situation. Then a 3rd stroke leaves Anne both incoherent & crying out in pain ("hurt!"). And when she refuses to eat or drink water ... the heartsick, yet tired Georges reaches a breaking point.
Movies can be great vehicles for entertainment & escapism (from worldly concerns). But they can also be a means of conveying such emotions as love, sacrifice, & mortality. 'Amour' is this latter type of movie-going experience. Many movie-goers will think of their own grandparents, parents, or perhaps themselves with these 2 characters. You know, 'Amour' is emotionally draining. You may be brought to tears. But that's because there's a powerful & universal sadness to the story. And really, the realism that it brings - while interesting or cathartic to some - may also depress other too much. The sense of realism is that strong.
Other than the film being morbidly depressing (some may love that, others not), 'Amour' also has pacing issues; which is largely the result of Michael Haneke using 'dead space' (letting the camera linger on static moments) to establish a mood or character. I would have tightened up a few segments. But for me, the overall effect of those lingering moments is cumulative & positive. Trintignant gives an incredibly natural, nuanced portrayal. But for Riva in particular, it's one of those "my God, how can she not win the Oscar?" performances. She's heartbreaking. And I think it's astounding that she could give such a demanding performance at age 85.
'Amour' compelled me to think about death (is it a transition to another world or a dark descent into nothingness?). It also showed me what a lot of us already know ... that caregivers suffer right along with their ailing loved ones & feel a sense of despair when there's nothing they can do to ease discomfort. While we see & feel many moments of love & sacrifice, Michael Haneke lends an icy quality to 'Amour'. The realistic depiction he brings to this end-of-life tragedy, while profound, is almost too much for me to handle. But the performances are undeniably exceptional. And they make a viewing of this film worthwhile.
Panicked, he wets a cloth & pats her face & neck. When she still doesn't respond, he goes to call for help. When he hears movement in the kitchen, he returns to find Anne unaware that anything has happened. It turns out she has had a stroke. She is then admitted to the hospital for a procedure to help clear her carotid artery ... but it doesn't work. Another stroke leaves the right side of her body paralyzed. But she never wants to go to a hospital again.
For a while, Georges' discipline & patience carries him through the ordeal of Anne's declining physical/emotional state. He tenderly attends to all her needs and, although she stubbornly rebels against being so dependent on him, there is no other way for her to exist. Their daughter Eva (Isabelle Huppert) visits, and while she has a hard time accepting her mother's debilitating condition, she also doesn't have any brilliant ideas/plans to help the situation. Then a 3rd stroke leaves Anne both incoherent & crying out in pain ("hurt!"). And when she refuses to eat or drink water ... the heartsick, yet tired Georges reaches a breaking point.
Movies can be great vehicles for entertainment & escapism (from worldly concerns). But they can also be a means of conveying such emotions as love, sacrifice, & mortality. 'Amour' is this latter type of movie-going experience. Many movie-goers will think of their own grandparents, parents, or perhaps themselves with these 2 characters. You know, 'Amour' is emotionally draining. You may be brought to tears. But that's because there's a powerful & universal sadness to the story. And really, the realism that it brings - while interesting or cathartic to some - may also depress other too much. The sense of realism is that strong.
Other than the film being morbidly depressing (some may love that, others not), 'Amour' also has pacing issues; which is largely the result of Michael Haneke using 'dead space' (letting the camera linger on static moments) to establish a mood or character. I would have tightened up a few segments. But for me, the overall effect of those lingering moments is cumulative & positive. Trintignant gives an incredibly natural, nuanced portrayal. But for Riva in particular, it's one of those "my God, how can she not win the Oscar?" performances. She's heartbreaking. And I think it's astounding that she could give such a demanding performance at age 85.
'Amour' compelled me to think about death (is it a transition to another world or a dark descent into nothingness?). It also showed me what a lot of us already know ... that caregivers suffer right along with their ailing loved ones & feel a sense of despair when there's nothing they can do to ease discomfort. While we see & feel many moments of love & sacrifice, Michael Haneke lends an icy quality to 'Amour'. The realistic depiction he brings to this end-of-life tragedy, while profound, is almost too much for me to handle. But the performances are undeniably exceptional. And they make a viewing of this film worthwhile.