AMOUR

An Austrian/German movie made in France with French leading actors and subtitled in English and nominated for Best Picture, Director, Foreign film, original screenplay and lead actress.  Michael Haneke wrote and directed this movie which in my mind is the essence of what is an Oscar film.

Anne (Emmanuelle Riva) and Georges (Jean-Louis Trintignant) are retired octogenarian music teachers with a daughter living abroad.  The film explores the love they share while they attend the concert of a former student, dealing with a home break-in and then Anne having an stroke.  The movie explores their love and relationship with each other in a heart-warming way.  I cannot imagine dealing with a loved one in a medical situation like this by being either the patient nor caregiver as they are both equally taxing.

The movie is interestingly done with no music in the background during the opening nor closing credits.  The camera work in the home is done so that it makes me want to visit the home and live there at least for a weekend writing retreat.  Ooh, weekend writing retreat in Paris, where do I sign up...but I digress!

The acting by Emmanuelle and Jean-Louis was equally as impressive.  You felt like they were really an old married couple in love dealing with a grown daughter and a wife who had a stroke.

The ending was a shock in how it ended which I will NOT spoil here but tied in with the beginning then provided a nice last scene with one of the characters.  Another character had an ambiguous ending left for the viewer to decide.  I liked this aspect and left you with wanting more from the movie but not in a missing way.

I doubt that Emmanuelle will beat out Anne Hathaway for Best lead actress but I hope she has a wonderful 86th birthday on the actual night of the Academy awards anyway.

I give this two thumbs up pointing to my Grandma in heaven who didn't have a stroke but was a patient and gave me another sense of thanks for all of her caregivers including my own Mother briefly.