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| I mean, just look at that face. |
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| Here's the other side of that heart-rending image. |
Oof. If you're gonna see this little gem of a Best Picture nominee, it's best to be prepared. What's the most important thing you need to know about AMOUR? It's French.
Just kidding. (Sort of...French films do have a tendency to be numbingly sad.) What you really should know is there's not much of a plot to be had here. To give you a bare-bones idea without giving anything away, Georges and Anne are a loving elderly couple living their golden years together, going to concerts and cooking each other meals, when suddenly Anne suffers a stroke. As her health continues to decline, Georges must struggle to care for his ailing wife.
If this sound like the kind of movie that gets your blood pumping, then...you're weird and must take delight in the misery of others. There's absolutely nothing enjoyable about sitting through AMOUR. Nothing. Other than the knowledge that you're witnessing some incredible performances, the experience is painful, sad, infuriating, excruciating and soul-crushing. The movie clocks in at a totally reasonable 2 hours and and 7 minutes -- yet manages to feel like a grueling six-hour marathon.
Now, I've seen some depressing movies in my time, including most of the movies on this list, to which I would add HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG, MYSTIC RIVER and IRREVERSIBLE (which is also -- you guessed it -- French!). In most downer movies there's a cathartic sense of schadenfreude -- at least I didn't have to be euthanized after breaking my spine while boxing. But AMOUR is different. Every single one of us is (hopefully) going to grow old and our health will start to deteriorate. It's the inevitability of what we're watching unfold that is so affecting about this film. There's absolutely nothing Georges can do to get his beloved Anne back. And watching him arrive at that realization is utterly heartbreaking.
Emmanuelle Riva (who plays Anne) is, at 86, the oldest Best Actress nominee in Oscar history. It's a recognition well-deserved, but Jean-Louis Trintignant (who plays Georges) is no less moving. His is not a one-note sadness; his feelings towards his ailing wife fluctuate between determination, resignation, nostalgia, stubbornness, regret, and sometimes (and most interestingly) anger. How dare she be leaving him like this? It's a fascinating reaction and makes the movie feel all the more real.
If you're an Oscar devotee like myself (or just a fan of feeling miserable), then this is a must-see film. However, if you're looking for a fun Valentine's date movie, I'd maybe steer clear of this one, despite it's misleadingly lovely-sounding title.
What's it nominated for? 5: Best Picture; Best Director (Michael Haneke); Best Actress (Emmanuelle Riva); Best Original Screenplay; Best Foreign Film
Will it win? Not a chance of winning the Big One -- its honor is being recognized in the category at all. However, its presence in the Best Picture race at all means its win for Best Foreign Film is all but guaranteed.
