Georges and Anne are an octogenarian couple. They are cultivated, retired music teachers. Their daughter, also a musician, lives in Britain with her family. One day, Anne has a stroke, and the couple's bond of love is severely tested.
Georges and Anne are a couple of retired music teachers enjoying life in their eighties. However, Anne suddenly has a stroke at breakfast and their lives are never the same. That incident begins Anne's harrowingly steep physical and mental decline as Georges attempts to care for her at home as she wishes. Even as the fruits of their lives and career remain bright, the couple's hopes for some dignity prove a dispiriting struggle even as their daughter enters the conflict. In the end, George, with his love fighting against his own weariness and diminished future on top of Anne's, is driven to make some critical decisions for them both.Written by
Kenneth Chisholm (kchishol@rogers.com)
At the Cannes Film Festival in 2012 where the movie premiered, Nanni Moretti was the Jury President. The film's producers were worried about the chances of Amour at winning the Palme D'Or because in 1997, when Michael Haneke had competed for the Palme D'Or with his controversial Brincadeiras Perigosas (1997), Nanni Moretti was a jury member and had strongly disliked the film going so far as to say that if Michael Haneke won a single prize, he would walk off the jury. The producers fears were laid to rest when Michael Haneke indeed won the Palme D'or for Amour. See more »
Goofs
At the end of the movie, when Georges is writing the letter, the sound of the pen scratching the paper does not match up. See more »
Quotes
Anne:
There's no point in going on living. That's how it is. I know it can only get worse. Why should I inflict this on us, on you and me?
Georges:
You're not inflicting anything on me.
Anne:
You don't have to lie, Georges.
Georges:
[looks down at the floor contemplatively]
Put yourself in my place. Didn't you ever think that it could happen to me, too?
Anne:
Of course I did. But imagination and reality have little in common.
Georges:
But things are getting better every day.
Anne:
I don't want to carry on. You're making such sweet efforts to make ...
[...] See more »
Amour was the final chapter in my quest to see every film nominated for best picture this year. I had the pleasure of watching this piece of art in and nice Art House theatre in NYC as an assignment for school. With the ambiance set I was ready to view the gem of European cinema. Having only seen one other film by Director Michael Haneke was not prepared however for the film itself. Amour is a fantastic work deserving of its nomination of best picture and best foreign film. It is the story of and elderly couple at the tail end of their golden years and the challenges that old age can present. Is there anything you won't do for love? I give kudos to the director for this film two main characters are in the golden years, it is completely dialogue driven, it takes place in one location and there is no soundtrack or real score. It survives totally on the dialogue and interactions of it leads. It is an extreme challenge to keep it interesting and Michael Heneke does with its stark and sometime depressing subject matter. It is a beautifully written and shot film. However it is real in its depiction in the challenges of getting old and how we deal.
I would say this film is an excellent film with a pace,direction and storytelling style more accustomed to European audiences. A great film that I would probably never watch again. 8/10
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Amour was the final chapter in my quest to see every film nominated for best picture this year. I had the pleasure of watching this piece of art in and nice Art House theatre in NYC as an assignment for school. With the ambiance set I was ready to view the gem of European cinema. Having only seen one other film by Director Michael Haneke was not prepared however for the film itself. Amour is a fantastic work deserving of its nomination of best picture and best foreign film. It is the story of and elderly couple at the tail end of their golden years and the challenges that old age can present. Is there anything you won't do for love? I give kudos to the director for this film two main characters are in the golden years, it is completely dialogue driven, it takes place in one location and there is no soundtrack or real score. It survives totally on the dialogue and interactions of it leads. It is an extreme challenge to keep it interesting and Michael Heneke does with its stark and sometime depressing subject matter. It is a beautifully written and shot film. However it is real in its depiction in the challenges of getting old and how we deal.
I would say this film is an excellent film with a pace,direction and storytelling style more accustomed to European audiences. A great film that I would probably never watch again. 8/10