Amour (French/2012): The film which will be seeing it's Indian release on 25th of October 2013, a year after it's international release is one of the best romantic films coming from the European Cinema till date. Directed by acclaimed Austrian director Michael Haneke, the film which won the Best Foreign Language Film at the 85 Academy Awards and the Palme D Or at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival, has a narrative whose structure follows an aged couple where the lady suffers from Paralysis and how her husband helps her till a tragic ending with their abroad staying daughter suffering the pains (based on an event happened in the director's family). The best thing about the film lies in the cinematography by Darius Khondji and the screenplay by the director himself where the still framing in most of the scenes in the film employs conversations and moments that make the film progress well, making it gripping. The editing by Monika Willi is smooth and she also employs some motif based shots well that actually make them a vital part in the film's narrative. The music score has been rarely, yet well placed in the film. A word about the performances: Excellent. Emmanuel Riva as the paralysed old woman is simply mindblowing and Jean Louis Trintignant as the husband is great and their chemistry is superb in the film. Isabelle Huppert, Alexandre Tharaud and rest are brilliant. Overall, this film is a must watch for film lovers, enthusiasts and students and moreover the die hard romantics as well!
My rating would be 4.5/ 5.
By Yash Mishra