What It's About

We all face our mortality in different ways. A simple, profound, realistic love story, "Amour" looks straight into the abyss of declining health, and doesn't flinch. Director-writer Michael Haneke chooses not to sugarcoat the end of days for a longtime married couple when the once-brilliant wife suffers a series of strokes. Ann and Georges are retired music professors, in their 80s, living in Paris. Their comfortable togetherness is shattered when Ann's health deteriorates and Georges takes on the caregiver role.

Performances

Oscar nominee Emmanuelle Riva and Jean-Louis Trintignant are familiar names to foreign film fans -- she in "Hiroshima, Mon Amour" and he in "A Man and a Woman" years ago. They both give compelling performances, like the two French pros they are. While Riva nabbed all the actress nominations, Trintignant was just as good as she was -- a pas de deux of the highest caliber.

What Works

Gut-wrenching, emotional, sad -- Haneke strikes a chord and hits a nerve by telling a common scenario, but makes his points and sets the stage with remarkable depth of feeling through a series of artfully arranged shots.

What Doesn't Work

Not easily digested and often hard to watch, "Amour" is straightforward and powerful. However, there is an enigmatic ending that is hearty food for thought. This film is sure to inspire much discussion and no doubt win the Oscar for Best Foreign Film. It's multiple nominations are well-deserved. While hype tends to over-inflate a small indie film, "Amour" stands up to the scrutiny of a wider audience.

4 stars

Director: Michael Haneke

Starring: Emmanuelle Riva, Jean-Louis Trintignant, Isabelle Huppert

Rated: PG-13 for mature thematic material including a disturbing act, and for brief language

Length: 2:07

In French, with English subtitles