Review of Amour (2012) by Kent D — 29 Jun 2013
So so so good.
Haneke manages to masterfully craft this beautiful but traumatic film, whilst managing to keep it stripped back to its essentials.
His long takes are still here, all so beautifully framed, and lit perfectly by Darius Khondji.
A Haneke film called 'Love' was never going to be a romantic comedy; his films usually concentrate on the cruelty people commit against each other, and often expose our hypocrisy, including that of the viewer at times. Whilst a film called Amour might seem a departure, this is a bleak story, of George's and Anne, an elderly couple, retired music teachers who return from a recital before Anne has an attack, a mild stroke, and it's all downhill from there.
This IS a film about love (though I'm glad there was no attempt to anglicise the title; Amour seems less trite), but don't expect an easy ride. This is love when nothing's left, and Trintignant and Riva are flawless, turning in some of the best performances I've ever seen.
Few movies are challenging enough, but so enjoyable by their artistry, that I want to watch them again straight away, and that leave me thinking about them for days after, but this is one of them.
A masterpiece.
This review of Amour (2012) was written by Kent D on 29 Jun 2013.
Amour has generally received very positive reviews.
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