Movie: Amour

Amour: Oscar winner as best foreign film 2012.  The showing of the movie in Honolulu only commenced the week before the Oscar broadcast.  Due to the quality of the acting and the script, it is quite understandable why it was nominated for a number of awards in addition to best foreign film.  For much of the movie there are only two individuals on screen, the elderly couple Georges and Anne.  I think there are only eight people who have speaking roles, and other than the adult daughter, their time on screen is quite limited.  The movie opens with firemen breaking into an apartment.  We then see an elderly woman lying on a bed as if in a funeral parlor.  The rest of the film is about a couple addressing issues of age and illness.  Emmanuelle Riva was nominated for best actress and she clearly deserved the nomination.  Jean-Louis Trintignant is equally strong in his performance as the devoted husband caring for a spouse who has two strokes during the course of the 127 minute movie.  When you first meet the couple, you know they have had a vibrant relationship that has lasted for decades.  They were piano teachers and an early scene has them watching a concert featuring one of Anne’s former pupils.  The film takes place in contemporary France (subtitles) and except for the opening concert scenes, occurs almost entirely in the couple’s spacious flat.  The movie, directed by Michael Haneke, is about a love that continues through illness.  The devotion and commitment of Georges is, unfortunately, not often seen in reality.  From what I’ve observed over the years, the verbiage exceeds the reality.  Describing the physical deterioration of Anne may lead you to believe the film is an emotional downer, however, due to the caring shown by Georges and the final scenes of the film, I did not leave depressed.  You will also hear beautifully played Shubert and a musical score that matches superbly with what is occurring on screen.  Georges ages during the movie (I think his walk becomes slower) and the movie doesn’t hide from the difficulties of aging.  But it also shows that if the mental capacities remain unimpaired, there is still much to enjoy.  One item not explained is why the daughter is distant from her father.  Is it just that she married an Englishman?  Isabelle Huppert is excellent as the daughter however the script doesn’t adequately explain her relationship with her parents.   I recommend your seeing this movie.

Amo