Amour, a 2012 French drama, is serious, sad, and filled with dark humor and tragedy. It is a love story, yet not a happy one. The movie depicts Georges (Jean-Louis Trintignant), and Anne (Emmanuelle Riva), an old couple living in Paris, who are hit by tragedy. Anne gets a stroke, which leaves her paralyzed on one side of her body.
Later, she endures yet another stroke, much stronger than the last one. Throughout the movie, Georges takes on the role as her caregiver, since she is physically and mentally incapable of taking care of herself.
The movie started off funny, but the mood quickly became more serious and melancholy as the story went on. Riva and Trintignant were phenomenal as Anne and Georges.
Trintignant made me feel like I was there with him feeling his pain and sadness. They share unconditional love which isn’t broken, even when she can barely talk. Although her [Riva’s] health deteriorates, his love for her doesn’t.
The movie got much critical acclaim, winning the prestigious Palme d’Or award, the highest award at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. It also won best foreign language Oscar at the 2013 Academy Awards. Riva and Trintignant won best actress and actor awards, respectively, at the 38th Cesar Awards.
4.5/5 stars
Runtime: 2hr. 7 min.
Rating: PG-13
