Amour

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Amour - 5/11/2012 4:04:30 AM

Empire Admin

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Amour - 5/11/2012 4:04:30 AM

nc_jj

Posts: 662
Joined: 20/2/2008
From: Manchester.

For me, it wasn't as gut-punching as "The White Ribbon", but that doesn't mean that it's not gut-punching. As usual with Haneke, it is devastating, and Trintignant and Riva are superb. You can love it or you can hate it. Again, for me, one of the best of the year.

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Post #: 2

RE: Amour - 6/11/2012 12:55:20 PM

Qwerty Norris

Posts: 3141
Joined: 26/10/2005
From: Edinburgh

Really looking forward to this. For me in 2012, Only TDKR & The Master have reached the same levels of anticipation.

_____________________________

Qwerty's Top 10 of 2013 (so far)

1. Zero Dark Thirty
2. No
3. In The Fog
4. Good Vibrations
5. McCullin
6. Beyond the Hills
7. The Place Beyond the Pines
8. Wreck-it Ralph
9. Shell
10. In The House

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Post #: 3

FLASHMAN - 19/11/2012 10:54:44 AM

Frank Comiskey

Posts: 133
Joined: 16/1/2008

The film is fearless and expertly done, but who wants to see it?

The Elderly?
The Young?
Carers?

Other than dedicated film fans, surely the only people who would watch, are people who have no prior experience of dealing with extreme old age, or who are determined to keep such situations at a wide berth.

As a person with first hand knowledge of this kind of tragedy, I found it as realist as Star Trek or 007; the human condition inexplicably teases light, black humour or optimism from even the grimest or most hopeless scenarios, and for all the justifiable praise for this film, none of that is conveyed here.

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Post #: 4

FLASHMAN - 19/11/2012 10:54:46 AM

Frank Comiskey

Posts: 133
Joined: 16/1/2008

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Post #: 5

RE: FLASHMAN - 19/11/2012 2:28:05 PM

Qwerty Norris

Posts: 3141
Joined: 26/10/2005
From: Edinburgh

Seen this yesterday.

Stunning, emotionally-harrowing yet completely unsentimental portrayal of an elderly couple coming to terms with the reality of a situation far too many of us will come to experience in later life & the many issues that correspond with dementia & debilitation. Haneke's cold, analytical approach has never been more appropriate. Likely to be my film of the year.

5/5

_____________________________

Qwerty's Top 10 of 2013 (so far)

1. Zero Dark Thirty
2. No
3. In The Fog
4. Good Vibrations
5. McCullin
6. Beyond the Hills
7. The Place Beyond the Pines
8. Wreck-it Ralph
9. Shell
10. In The House

(in reply to Frank Comiskey)

Post #: 6

RE: FLASHMAN - 20/11/2012 5:07:50 PM

Frank Comiskey

Posts: 133
Joined: 16/1/2008

Yes, yopu are right; totally agree with you in every way, but the original points also still stand.

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Post #: 7

RE: FLASHMAN - 21/11/2012 9:10:12 AM

Qwerty Norris

Posts: 3141
Joined: 26/10/2005
From: Edinburgh

quote:

ORIGINAL: Frank Comiskey

I found it as realist as Star Trek or 007; the human condition inexplicably teases light, black humour or optimism from even the grimest or most hopeless scenarios, and for all the justifiable praise for this film, none of that is conveyed here.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Frank Comiskey

Yes, yopu are right; totally agree with you in every way, but the original points also still stand.

Fair enough, but I don't think that's a universal characteristic shared by everyone who goes through the same ordeal. My own mum is a domestic carer & the range of people she encounters who deal with the scenario differently (whether that's through humour, profound sadness or a position of complete objectivity) is vast.

_____________________________

Qwerty's Top 10 of 2013 (so far)

1. Zero Dark Thirty
2. No
3. In The Fog
4. Good Vibrations
5. McCullin
6. Beyond the Hills
7. The Place Beyond the Pines
8. Wreck-it Ralph
9. Shell
10. In The House

(in reply to Frank Comiskey)

Post #: 8

RE: FLASHMAN - 24/11/2012 9:50:03 PM

Bickle

Posts: 721
Joined: 30/9/2005

FIVE OUT OF FIVE.

Holy shit this film is good. Probably my favourite Haneke.

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Post #: 9

RE: Amour - 5/12/2012 2:36:21 AM

demoncleaner

Posts: 2155
Joined: 3/10/2005
From: Belfast

A suitably less tricksy er...box of tricks from Haneke this time. The White Ribbon was pleasingly and inspirationally classical.... while still messing with us.

Amour is quite rightly more above-aboard and harrowingly matter-of-fact. Probably to the extent that it tilted toward docu-drama for me and I didn't really have an emotional response to this. But you have to admire Haneke's approach to the subject; is he, in the first instance facing his fears, which in a loving couple present a dual nightmare of what if (what if it happened to me, or worse still the person I love), perhaps it's a cathartic back-ground exploration of a story he might have read in a Sunday newspaper. Whatever the impetus Haneke still adheres to his lovely rule of drama which is to arrive the latest he possibly can into a scene and have it still make sense, and to leave the earliest he can while having the scene still make sense to the audience. The result are scenes that the audience have to engage with and make sense of (the opposite of exposition if you will) and it bears dialogue from characters who don't know they're in a film being watched. A humble lesson in dramatic realism which is something Haneke lectures in...in the end a bit too academic for me, but still, the commitment from everyone here is not to be balked at.

4/5

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Post #: 10

RE: Amour - 6/12/2012 1:23:40 AM

Coyleone

Posts: 480
Joined: 13/10/2008

Just watched this tonight, and thought it was brilliant.

It's not as emotionally draining or harrowing as I was lead to believe, but that isn't a bad thing. It is however, a brutally honest portrayal of old age, illness and how it can effect everyone involved. The film has some genuinely powerful scenes, and some very touching ones to go along with them. Seeing the couple acting fine, having normal conversations and even flirting with eachother, only for that to be completely taken away from them is extremely hard to process and quite devastating. It's something that will likely happen to most of us in our lives, or we will certainly go through something similar, and that's probably what makes this so effective. The tone of Haneke's directing adds a sense of complete realism to the film, making the events and characters come to life even further, aided by the two absolutely stunning lead performances. We get thrust into their lives, and we have to almost deal with their situation along with them. The end (second to last scene to be specific) is by far the most powerful and though provoking scene I've seen all year. This film may not be completely 'likeable', and it's certainly not as enjoyable as a few other films from this year, but it certainly has numerous scenes that are the most powerful of the year, and it's up there with the best. 9/10

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Post #: 11

RE: Amour - 3/2/2013 12:18:33 PM

jrewing1000

Posts: 469
Joined: 23/11/2005

What an astonishing film. Haneke delivers yet another simple, restrained and powerful drama about old age. It's quite unmissable.

Surprised people are finding it so harrowing. It's very emotional, but Haneke's talent is presenting us with something very real. So all the usual bells and whistles that tug on our heart strings are absent. It wasn't that I found it emotional, more like intense.

Emmanuelle Riva deserves every accolade going. Her performance is quite simply the best female performance I have ever seen. I had to keep reminding myself this was an actress, because you just believe everything that is happening to her. It was just incredible.

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Post #: 12

RE: Amour - 3/2/2013 1:42:16 PM

Qwerty Norris

Posts: 3141
Joined: 26/10/2005
From: Edinburgh

quote:

ORIGINAL: jrewing1000

Surprised people are finding it so harrowing. It's very emotional, but Haneke's talent is presenting us with something very real. So all the usual bells and whistles that tug on our heart strings are absent. It wasn't that I found it emotional, more like intense.

That's precisely why I found it to be so affecting. By in large, the usual bells & whistles do nothing for me.

< Message edited by Qwerty Norris -- 3/2/2013 1:58:27 PM >

_____________________________

Qwerty's Top 10 of 2013 (so far)

1. Zero Dark Thirty
2. No
3. In The Fog
4. Good Vibrations
5. McCullin
6. Beyond the Hills
7. The Place Beyond the Pines
8. Wreck-it Ralph
9. Shell
10. In The House

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Post #: 13

Amour- Surprising and emotional - 19/3/2013 9:35:43 AM

FilmMaster

Posts: 26
Joined: 25/5/2012

I found this to be extremely surprising, and with only two character (for the most part), it carried through brilliantly. It has plenty of gorgeous cinematography, and an extremely emotional and unflinching relationship between an elderly couple. Anyone looking to see some great French cinema, check this one out. It will definitely leave you well.

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Post #: 14