Love Takes a Lethargic, Gloomy Turn in "Amour"

Georges (Jean-Louis Trintignant) is troubled by wife's (Emmanuelle Riva) recent strokes in Amour.      

There's nothing quite like sitting through one of Michael Haneke's films. The Austrian director has a tendency for scrutinizing the world through a bleak, somewhat disturbing lens that challenges even his most optimistic audiences. His latest film, Amour, is no exception and his most rational view on the gloomier moments in life. The title itself, which translates as "Love," immediately throws audiences for a loop, who presume to be uplifted by geriatric romance.

Check all those positive vibes at door, because instead, we're treated to over two hours of a devastating study of decay and dying, solely focused on an elderly Parisian couple. As soon as the opening credits end, the first shot is a fire brigade breaking an apartment door only to reveal a rotting corpse adorned in flowers. Already hitting audiences with a heavy-hearted impression, Amour quickly turns back the clocks to disclose who Georges (Jean-Louis Trintignant) and Anne (Emmanuelle Riva) were and what specific episodes brought about this grim finale.

The chemistry between Trintignant and Riva is mesmerizingly spot-on, not expressed with smothering affection of two young lovers, rather depending on the care of one-another as the duo progress through seniority. Georges and Anne enjoy each other's company coupled with small talk at a kitchen table or hand-in-hand at a piano recital, but everything takes a turn for the worse when Anne suffers multiple strokes ending up bedridden. Even as Riva lays immobile for at least half of Amour, Trintignant bellies up a slew of conflicted emotions questioning his patience towards his dying wife and even his love.

Amour is exceptional in leaving audiences depressed, but Haneke's most glaring issue is not getting the ball rolling soon enough. The first hour of Amour drags its feet through scene after scene of simplistic cinematography reminiscent of a stage play. Before events for Georges and Anne take a turn for the worst, every exchange of dialogue is composed in an overuse of dull shot-reverse-shot. The two constantly wear out the furniture as if there's no other place in the house to have a conversation.

Haneke overtly frames his scenes around windows and doorframes, maintaining a sense of rigid form, despite opportunities to compose less static scenes. Until Riva's Anne finds herself unable to move and her husband's faith deteriorating, Amour is a standstill just waiting for a spark of intensity to shoot it across the finish line. As the bedridden Anne, Riva shines in what may give the impression of an undemanding performance. Every emotion flowing out of Riva surfaces from subtlety - her eyes and gestures just to name a few.

Sticking with Amour's overdrawn story is the linchpin in whether or not the film personally fails or succeeds. Sometimes it can be difficult to empathize with Georges unless you've had to watch someone you care about slowly die before you, while feeling helpless inside. Many times, Haneke paints Georges as a disgruntled old man with detached jerk-like attributes. However, being not relatable at times only transfigures Trintignant's character into one more complex than what's being shown on the surface.

The film would function much better if it wasn't caught up in appeasing such niche storytelling that seems to be directed by two different directors with conflicting styles. In reality, Haneke is Amour's only director, but the inconsistencies between the first half and second question on-the-fly decisions or a change of heart in style without considering any tonal or stylistic patchwork.

Despite over two hours of a depressing and heartbreaking narrative, Amour manages to reference love that might not be in the traditional sense, but in a form that's appropriate for that segment of life. Haneke knows how to get the job done, making audiences feel uncomfortable yet respecting the morbid content. And while the film is encompassed with two of 2012's finest onscreen performances, one go around with Amour is more than enough. There's simply no incentive to watch the elderly suffer and die again and again on a loop. 

GRADE: B (8/10)