Amour (Michael Haneke)

johnny_ultimate

Typical... you wait years for new films from P.T. Anderson and Michael Haneke and then they both end up releasing on the same day!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waR5wslQbS0

Out this Friday - although showing tonight at the IFI French Film Festival - Amour marks the directorial return of Europe's most distinguished, provocative auteur after 2009's The White Ribbon. Mr. Haneke's name is IMO one of the easiest sells in cinema - pretty much the closest thing we have to an undoubtedly great director at the moment - but this is also supposedly his most accessible (albeit not in the negative sense of the word) work yet. It captures the relationship between an elderly couple, and advance word has inevitably been extremely positive. Haneke's old muse Isabelle Huppert plays the couple's daughter after sitting out the director's last few productions.

Anyway, I can't wait - one of the last major arthouse release (well, as well as The Master) of 2012, and it's been a long six month wait since it won the Palme d'Or at Cannes. Bring on the unrelenting intensity!

Technocentral

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

Typical... you wait years for new films from P.T. Anderson and Michael Haneke and then they both end up releasing on the same day!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waR5wslQbS0

Out this Friday - although showing tonight at the IFI French Film Festival - Amour marks the directorial return of Europe's most distinguished, provocative auteur after 2009's The White Ribbon. Mr. Haneke's name is IMO one of the easiest sells in cinema - pretty much the closest thing we have to an undoubtedly great director at the moment - but this is also supposedly his most accessible (albeit not in the negative sense of the word) work yet. It captures the relationship between an elderly couple, and advance word has inevitably been extremely positive. Haneke's old muse Isabelle Huppert plays the couple's daughter after sitting out the director's last few productions.

Anyway, I can't wait - one of the last major arthouse release (well, as well as The Master) of 2012, and it's been a long six month wait since it won the Palme d'Or at Cannes. Bring on the unrelenting intensity!

The White Ribbon is an astonishing film for anyone who hasn't seen it, amongst the best films ever made, so like you I eagerly await Amour.

johnny_ultimate

Watched this earlier, and it's brilliantly directed and emotionally devastating. It's certainly more straightforward than your usual Haneke film, or at least not wrapped up in layers upon layers of social and political context. This is by no means a bad thing - it's far more immediate while still providing much depth.

The film gives away its biggest dramatic development in the opening minutes, and the result is that the film from the off is tinged with expectation and unease. Every action and sentence is significant, leading to a pre-revealed conclusion. It most definitely has the unrelenting grimness Haneke is famed for - and comparisons with Bergman have never seemed more appropriate - but its also instilled with a warmth and humanity that is arguably absent in more of his more sterile, cynical productions. Many scenes are hugely moving, and while Haneke utilises a pared down style for the most part (only diegetic music, confined spaces and - barring some short opening scenes - relatively straightforward and immediate cinematography), he occasionally indulges in some very effective and surreal tangents.

The visits of a winged intruder, a terrifying nightmare and a hugely poignant musical interlude are amongst the film's best scenes, while the more down-to-earth scenes are consistently raw, involving and shocking. Does this film feature cinema's most surprising slap?

Anyway, Haneke fans will find much to gorge on here, while this is a very accessible place to begin for anyone unfamiliar with the great man's work. Oh, and it features two of this year's most astonishing performances - Emmanuelle Riva captures her characters physical decline and mental torture in an almost overbearingly powerful way, while Jean-Louis Trintignant as her committed husband convincingly battles with an increasingly impossible situation.

Exhilarating, brilliant cinema from one of cinema's contemporary masters.

crybaby

Sounds great, what would be a good Haneke film to start with?

johnny_ultimate

crybaby wrote: »

Sounds great, what would be a good Haneke film to start with?

This would actually be a pretty good place to start if you get the chance to watch it while its on release! Although I'd recommend Hidden (Caché) too. I'm fairly sure it was the first film from Haneke I watched (could have been Funny Games, though) and it really knocked me for six with its bold style and provocative content. I still think it might be his masterpiece, and its very watchable as a thriller while still demanding worthwhile effort to decipher fully.

Enjoy - you have plenty of great films ahead of you

Aidric

I have no hesitation in calling this a masterpiece. Haneke is matched only by Kubrick when it comes to sustained brilliance in film making.

There is nowhere to turn for comfort in Amour, the comfort comes from being in the hands of a masterful director. It is the most unflinching study of love in all its forms I've seen on screen. Use of long still shots lends to the slow decaying condition of one of the protagonists. The two leads draw you in with the strength of their performances and the script by Haneke is spare and touching.

Indeed if their has been a better performance then that of Jean-Louis Trintignant in the last decade I haven't seen it. Perhaps Heath Ledgers performance in Brokeback Mountain comes closest.

This is an emotional ride and I was moved to tears on more then one occasion. A must see.

Psychedelic

Have to be honest and say I found this quite boring. I know it's sort of Haneke's style but this showing something for 5 minutes when 3 seconds will do gets annoying.

The plot: old man looks after his wife who is recovering from a stroke. The wife doesn't want to live in that condition. That's it really.

I thought there would be some surprises like in previous Haneke films but it takes ages to get to the straightforward climax, which we already sort of know is going to happen. The

husband's slap of the wife's face was surprising, but unfortunately I laughed at that which is not the reaction I was supposed to have

! Most of the film is just long scenes of the husband taking care of the wife, feeding her etc. This wasn't covering anything we haven't seen before.

I guess some people will be genuinely moved (especially if they have first hand experience of similar situations) but it just didn't click with me.

I am surprised it has been nominated for so many Oscars, just don't see the big deal about this film.

johnny_ultimate

Psychedelic wrote: »

The plot: old man looks after his wife who is recovering from a stroke. The wife doesn't want to live in that condition. That's it really.

No offense intended as the film clearly didn't work for you on a number of levels, but it's a pet peeve of mine when a film's narrative is broken down to a brief synopsis as a criticism. You can do the same with pretty much any film without any bother - indeed, it's regrettably the way a lot of films are sold to financiers. Even the most familiar or straightforward plot can be rendered enlightening and involving with the proper execution - and Haneke's peerless and uncompromising vision is ultimately what makes this such devastating viewing.

e_e

I can see why some would be put off by the long takes but that the film is so patient and observant is one of its merits really. It gives the subject a weight that would be undermined by a heavier emphasis on music, editing or narration.

Psychedelic

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

No offense intended as the film clearly didn't work for you on a number of levels, but it's a pet peeve of mine when a film's narrative is broken down to a brief synopsis as a criticism. You can do the same with pretty much any film without any bother - indeed, it's regrettably the way a lot of films are sold to financiers. Even the most familiar or straightforward plot can be rendered enlightening and involving with the proper execution - and Haneke's peerless and uncompromising vision is ultimately what makes this such devastating viewing.

I suppose I just expected something else in the narrative, and when it turned out to be fairly straightforward I felt a bit let down.

e_e wrote: »

I can see why some would be put off by the long takes but that the film is so patient and observant is one of its merits really. It gives the subject a weight that would be undermined by a heavier emphasis on music, editing or narration.

I get that, and I liked that style in some of his films like Cache but was bored by it in other films and in Amour, not sure why.

AnonoBoy

I think the reason he used the long takes in this one is to show the reality of taking care of someone.

You knew that there was never going to be a big swell of music and her mumbling that she loved him before she died. Because that's not reality.

He stripped back all the normal cliches of a story like this and presented it in its raw form.

That's why I found it so moving.

cherryghost

Brilliant film. Brought a tear to my eye, as well as so many conflicting emotions at that key scene. I hope it does well as the Oscars.

Irish Aris

AnonoBoy wrote: »

I think the reason he used the long takes in this one is to show the reality of taking care of someone.

You knew that there was never going to be a big swell of music and her mumbling that she loved him before she died. Because that's not reality.

He stripped back all the normal cliches of a story like this and presented it in its raw form.

That's why I found it so moving.

Exactly that.I always approach Haneke with caution as it can be difficult to connect with his subject. This one easily becomes one of my favourite of his films.I was moved, shocked, I shed a few tears - most importantly, I got food for thought. It made me think about my own parents, tried to get into Isabelle Huppert's shoes and understand/imagine what I would do if I aware in her place.Now that I saw the film, I am not surprised that Emmanuelle Riva is an Oscar nominee (and wouldn't be surprised if she wins it). But I find Jean Louis Trintignant's performance even more immense. He is the one in the center of the story, I found absolutely brilliant every single move/glance/phrase of his character. One to watch again at some point.