Sir_Alfred
Joined Jun 2004
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Amour (2012) Dir. Michael Haneke
Just when I thought Michael Haneke could surprise me no more, he comes along with a film like this. A film for which the jury at Cannes gave him his 2nd Palme d'Or in four years. And nothing less than this film deserves.
The story of an elderly French couple, their deteriorating health and devotion to each other is the basis, and allows the Austrian auteur to inject something rarely if ever seen in any of his films to date, heart.
Some of the typical Haneke touches are still there; the suffocating sense that something terrible is going to happen being his signature. His previous film, the 2008 Palme d'Or winning The White Ribbon keeps up this omnipresent dread for almost its entire runtime (also see the deus ex machina in Funny Games and continuous sense of dread in Cache). With these films Haneke has proved himself to be the biggest audience manipulator since the greatest of them all, Alfred Hitchcock.
But there's nothing artificially manipulative in Amour. And there's none of the sentimentality that less able directors would fall back on given the film's subject matter. The acting and characterisation is so strong that added sentiment is never needed, and is in fact the very last thing you'd expect to encounter in a Haneke picture.
The emotion felt towards the two protagonists as they struggle with coming to the end of their lives actually gave me a crushing sensation in my chest by the end of the runtime. This is an extremely tough film to watch at times, and on more than one occasion I had to look away from the screen.
The biggest compliment I can give this film, is that it made me want to call my parents.
5/5 stars. #1 film of the year so far.
Just when I thought Michael Haneke could surprise me no more, he comes along with a film like this. A film for which the jury at Cannes gave him his 2nd Palme d'Or in four years. And nothing less than this film deserves.
The story of an elderly French couple, their deteriorating health and devotion to each other is the basis, and allows the Austrian auteur to inject something rarely if ever seen in any of his films to date, heart.
Some of the typical Haneke touches are still there; the suffocating sense that something terrible is going to happen being his signature. His previous film, the 2008 Palme d'Or winning The White Ribbon keeps up this omnipresent dread for almost its entire runtime (also see the deus ex machina in Funny Games and continuous sense of dread in Cache). With these films Haneke has proved himself to be the biggest audience manipulator since the greatest of them all, Alfred Hitchcock.
But there's nothing artificially manipulative in Amour. And there's none of the sentimentality that less able directors would fall back on given the film's subject matter. The acting and characterisation is so strong that added sentiment is never needed, and is in fact the very last thing you'd expect to encounter in a Haneke picture.
The emotion felt towards the two protagonists as they struggle with coming to the end of their lives actually gave me a crushing sensation in my chest by the end of the runtime. This is an extremely tough film to watch at times, and on more than one occasion I had to look away from the screen.
The biggest compliment I can give this film, is that it made me want to call my parents.
5/5 stars. #1 film of the year so far.
THE TREE OF LIFE, Terrence Malick, 2011.
Every once in a very rare while a film comes along that not only changes your view of cinema and filmmaking but your view on your whole existence. For me, The Tree of Life is unquestionably a film of this nature.
The Tree of Life is only legendary director Terrence Malick's 5th film since 1973, and is a non-linear journey through Malick's memories, thoughts and beliefs. Oh, and there's even time to fit in astonishing sequences of the creation and evolution of the universe! There's so much content here but the strongest feeling I got is that Malick is interested in where we come from, both as individuals and as inhabitants of planet earth. What makes us who we are? Also the Job-like musings of why bad things happen to good and innocent people. But what is evident most of all is that this is a form of autobiography.
The 'plot' and that is a loosely used term here, centres around flashbacks of an architect Jack (Sean Penn) who remembers his childhood and the brother who (we find out v early on in the film, and which was true in Malick's real life) would end up dying at just 19. On this note Brad Pitt is excellent as Jack's father and Jessica Chastain as Jack's mother who both shape young Jack (clearly an autobiographical version of Malick himself), and the child actors (in particular Hunter McCracken as young Jack) are tremendous too.
Another point worthy of mention is the score by Alexandre Desplat (who also did the Kings Speech) and also features original music from Mahler, Bach, Berlioz and Tavener.
The only downside that people may point to is the older Jack (Sean Penn) was a bit of a one note character and could've been fleshed out more.
But that's all I can really criticise. Malick bares all in this beautiful film; his guilt, his shame, his regrets, his life. I don't think I've seen a film in which a director gives so much of himself, and if you know anything about the reclusive, secretive man Malick is (he hasn't even a public interview since the 1970s for example) then this is even more remarkable.
Hypnotic. Mesmerising. Moving.... Malick Masterpiece.
Every once in a very rare while a film comes along that not only changes your view of cinema and filmmaking but your view on your whole existence. For me, The Tree of Life is unquestionably a film of this nature.
The Tree of Life is only legendary director Terrence Malick's 5th film since 1973, and is a non-linear journey through Malick's memories, thoughts and beliefs. Oh, and there's even time to fit in astonishing sequences of the creation and evolution of the universe! There's so much content here but the strongest feeling I got is that Malick is interested in where we come from, both as individuals and as inhabitants of planet earth. What makes us who we are? Also the Job-like musings of why bad things happen to good and innocent people. But what is evident most of all is that this is a form of autobiography.
The 'plot' and that is a loosely used term here, centres around flashbacks of an architect Jack (Sean Penn) who remembers his childhood and the brother who (we find out v early on in the film, and which was true in Malick's real life) would end up dying at just 19. On this note Brad Pitt is excellent as Jack's father and Jessica Chastain as Jack's mother who both shape young Jack (clearly an autobiographical version of Malick himself), and the child actors (in particular Hunter McCracken as young Jack) are tremendous too.
Another point worthy of mention is the score by Alexandre Desplat (who also did the Kings Speech) and also features original music from Mahler, Bach, Berlioz and Tavener.
The only downside that people may point to is the older Jack (Sean Penn) was a bit of a one note character and could've been fleshed out more.
But that's all I can really criticise. Malick bares all in this beautiful film; his guilt, his shame, his regrets, his life. I don't think I've seen a film in which a director gives so much of himself, and if you know anything about the reclusive, secretive man Malick is (he hasn't even a public interview since the 1970s for example) then this is even more remarkable.
Hypnotic. Mesmerising. Moving.... Malick Masterpiece.