Amour

“Amour” is a French film written and directed by Michael Haneke. The film stars  Emmanuelle Riva (who 53 years ago appeared in “Hiroshima, My Love”), Jean-Louis Trintignant (a well known actor in the 50’s and 60;s who will best be  remembered for his roles in  “And God Created Woman” and “A Man and a Woman”) and the ever favorite French staple, Ms. Isabelle Huppert. This is a difficult film to watch but yet it is beautiful in its tribute to the love a spouse can have for his mate who becomes disabled and on a predictable road to the disintegration of her body. Monsieur Trintignant is superb as the dedicated husband who refuses to surrender his relationship with his wife despite the urging and insistence of others who seek to bestow arm’s length advice and instruction. Why, with all that I have written, did I find the film troubling. Perhaps the best way to express my reaction is to quote someone who said “I know the film was in color but I remember it being in black and white”. It is a slow moving and unexciting film whose director takes too much time and delves into too much detail so that you want to go into the editing room and snip away these unnecessary reels that add running time but detract from the viewing experience. All of that being said, the performances of these two megastars in the twilight of their respective careers is worth the cost of watching this tedious endeavor. Although not as enthusiastic as most of the major critics who can’t write and say enough good things about Mr. Haneke and his film, I can understand what they saw but my eyes were not in the same focus as theirs. I give the film 3 stars because, when all is said and done, it is still a worthwhile film to see and appreciate.