Most filmed love stories depict the beginnings and complications of couples searching for happiness and a future together. In rare exceptions (The Notebook) do we also see the waning days of love, and with Amour, we are witness to the end of a long union of husband and wife, whose longevity is matched by their love for one another. It is a bittersweet study in the challenges and hardships that are grim reminders that although life is finite, love transcends time. As written and directed by Michael Haneke (The Piano Teacher), the story is a realistic study of love, loyalty, and responsibility in a marriage.
Georges (Jean-Louis Trintignant) and Anne (Emmanuelle Riva) are a married, elderly couple who share a love of classical piano music and live in a modest apartment. One day, following a visit to a classical concert, Anne is paralyzed by a stroke, and as her body begins to fail her, she and her husband must adjust to a new way of living and the inevitability of the end. What transpires in the following days and weeks amid concerns of their daughter, Eva (Isabelle Huppert), will test an enduring love to its very limits.
Featuring two leading actors who starred in two of the more haunting, romantic films at the beginning of the French New Wave Cinema, (Riva in Hiroshima Mon Amour and Trintignant in A Man and a Woman), it is ironic that we see these veteran performers, as aged spouses. Riva makes us feel for her, and she conveys much feeling with her facial expressions particularly in her eyes or the absence of any reaction as she convincingly depicts the gradual deterioration of a human being physically and spiritually. Trintignant deserves credit for making us feel his plight as husband and caregiver. He gives Riva an equal in acting.
The contrast of their day to day routines is thrown awry by fate, and the hardship of caring for an physically impaired family member is heartbreaking. The details of hiring healthcare workers, helpful neighbors who buy groceries, acquiring a hospital bed or wheelchair, and even the simplest acts of human function are a challenge. When Anne asks to see a family photo album, we know this is a sign that this is the beginning of the end of her quality of life as she is reviewing her past and better times. There are moments you wonder how much can Georges take and to what lengths he will endure to support his wife’s well being. There are echoes of Million Dollar Baby in the incapacity of a loved one and how those closest must come to terms with life. It is a tragedy being played out before our eyes.
There is symbolism of a pigeon that repeatedly flies into the apartment; perhaps it represents a precious life that is a metaphor for Anne. Even the sounds of activity in their kitchen speak to their routine at mealtime. Indeed, most of the story takes place in their apartment. The absence of a musical score adds to its realism and immediacy.
Despite a somber tone, Amour is blessed with great performances that cap two legendary careers. Give Haneke credit for an ambiguous, bold ending with its memorable imagery; it reaffirms the power of love. The film says that this may be the end of a life but not the end of love.
*** of **** stars
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