Review of Amour (2012) by Christian John V — 16 May 2014

It is safe to say that this is one of the best and most horrifying films I've seen and I've seen many films already. This is one of the best because of the acting and the script. The actors (French cinema giants Jean Louis Trintignant and Emmanuelle Riva) unflinchingly devote themselves to roles that could have been easy on paper but difficult to portray. It is easy to act being sad but it is difficult to render the role of a man who watches his wife decline day by day or the role of a wife afflicted with stroke who sees her world getting smaller and her time getting shorter. The script is sharp and minimal. No fussy declarations. No sentimentality. Just plain dialogue.

This is also a terrifying film by virtue of its theme- debility, death, and loss. I felt myself getting goosebumps and feeling scared even if there are no ghosts in the film. The sinking reality that we will all eventually shrink and die is scarier than all the horror films in the world combined.

This film clearly deserves its Best Foreign Film Oscar and Palme d' Or. An intelligent, brave, and excellent film like this deserves to be watched by millions of people. Why? To make us feel aware that love has its limits and that death is around the corner.