Reviewer Reviews...Amour-A Film Review

Michael Haneke has never made a secret of being a cynical misanthrope, and possibly the best example of his expert sarcasm is the brutally unwatchable, although slammingly relevant Funny Games, where a family is both physically and mentally tortured by a pair of blonde haired psychopaths. Like The Haunting, the horror is in what you don't see, which makes the experience all the more intense and terrifying. Unlike many of his previous films, this concerns a suitably less macabre thing that we all have to go through; old age.
The plot inloves Georges and Anna, an elderly couple of retired musicians, living in a quinessentially French apartment in Paris. One day, after drinking some tea, Anna freezes solid in her seat. Georges is confused. He tries to talk to her. Nothing. He even puts a damp towel on her head. No reaction. Soon after, she regains conciousness and doesn't remember the episode. As people in old age do, Georges worries. Soon after, Anna gets a stroke. At first, Anna responds very well, she is bright, attentive, and almost seems to enjoy her endevour into post-stroke care, from the benefits of an electric wheelchair, to the shame of being helped into bed. Soon, however, everything starts to crumble.
The reason this film is so mesmirising is not because of the stunning performances by the lead duo (although they are spectacular, both playing incredibly difficult roles), but because of how real it feels. We can all smell the hospital, clinical smell of someone who is very ill, wer can all understand Georges anger at her for simply being ill, or even the urge to put a person of such an unwell disposition out of their misery, Haneke makes the characters feel real, and while not always the most likeable, these are the most tender and kind protaganists I have seen in any film by Haneke. This film is one of the best of the year, and anyone who has had an unwell relative must see this film. It may be a tough experiencce, but it'll be worth it

10/10

(N.B. There is a scene in this film which you think you can see coming, but you are not sure. I was shocked.)