With the 85th Academy Awards to be hosted this Friday, the films of 2012 and ‘13 are to be honoured in momentous fashion and style in Los Angeles. Amongst those nominated to receive awards is Michael Haneke, the Austrian film and screenwriter for his critically acclaimed ‘Amour’.
Amour tells the story of an elderly couple, Anna and George who are retired music teachers and have a daughter that lives abroad. It studies the lives of the couple in the wake of Anna’s stroke that leaves half of her body paralysed. This touching testament to love has been well received by every film cirtic it seems, and may even be the pinnacle in Haneke’s crown. He continues to astound and this touching drama based in the four walls of a Parisian apartment centres around the devastating concept of omniscient death’s effects on love. It sees a relationship face an undisputable enemy; one that will separate George and Anna and estrange their only daughter, who plays testament to the overshadowing doom that engulfs the apartment.
Haneke at the age of 70 is a pioneer in film and television, he is known for his bleak style that targets societal issues and the failings of humankind. Amour has added if not heightened Haneke’s reputation to do so, and was so well received at the Cannes Film Festival it picked up Haneke’s second Palm D’Or award, putting him in the shortlist of 7 other directors who have ever managed to do so. Total Film gave it 5 stars, Time Out London gave it 5 stars, New York Times film critic A.O. Scott called it the Best Film of 2012 and The Time’s film critic, Manohla Dargis called it “a masterpiece about life, death and everything in between”.
On Friday night Haneke’ s Amour will be amongst those nominated for; Best Picture, Best Director, Best Writing- Original Screen play, Best Foreign Language Film, and the leading actress, Emmanuella Riva has been nominated for Best Actress for her character Anna. Amour is the eighth foreign film to be nominated for the Best Film and Riva, is the oldest woman to be nominated for Best Actress at the age of 83. Riva has already taken the BAFTA for Best Actress, and is the oldest person to have won the award in BAFTA’s 66 years.
Heart-breaking and true to life, this film is set to be legendary and well worth watching when it comes out on DVD in March.
Poppy Bethell