DVD Corner

Amour Blu-ray Review

“Amour” is Michael Haneke’s best film by a wide margin.

Retired piano teachers Georges and Anne are an old married couple who have seemingly lived a good life. They are still deeply in love, they have a daughter (Eva), and they are passionate about music (which they both built careers around). One morning during breakfast, Anne has a stroke which causes her to not only have a case of memory loss, but leads her to have to get surgery. Sadly, the surgery goes horribly wrong and leaves her paralyzed. From there on out, Georges tends to his wife as her mind and body begin to deteriorate. Obviously, there’s more that I’m not saying, but I don’t want to spoil anything.

As you can no doubt tell from the subject matter, “Amour” is not an easy film to watch. It’s a tragic, depressing, and emotional story about love, marriage, age, death, and human fragility. With that said, not all cinema is meant to be joyful entertainment. Sometimes there are films that can make you an emotional wreck, but still be profoundly rewarding in a different regard. “Amour” is one of those films.

Even though I can’t see myself ever viewing “Amour” again, I’m glad to have seen it. It was an emotional gut punch of a movie, but the film says more about life and love than 95% of the films you will see on any given year (perhaps even moreso). Now, some of you may be thinking that this film sounds like miserable sap, but that’s not the case at all. Thanks to the incredibly believable performances by leads Jean-Louis Trintignant and Emmanuelle Riva, you will get the impression that you are watching a documentary at times which makes the story all the more heartbreaking and powerful.

Video/Audio:

“Amour,” which is presented in 1.85:1 1080p, isn’t the most lavish looking film, but it never sets out to be. The film strives for realism and as such the film has a certain style to it. As with most Blu-ray releases, the film looks fantastic in hi-def. It is undoubtedly the best way to watch the film at home.

The French 5.0 DTS-HD MA audio track does the job. The film is often quiet and uses sound oh so intelligently, but the dialogue and music always sound sharp here.

Extras:
* Sony trailers and an “Amour” theatrical trailer.
* “Making Of Amour” contains behind-the-scenes footage, a look at Michael Haneke on the set, cast and crew interviews, discussions about the characters and script, etc.
* “Q&A With Director Michael Haneke” from Film Independent at LACMA. Film Critic Elvis Mitchell chats with Haneke through a translator about everything from the cast to writing.

Summary: It’s not hard to see why “Amour” received awards and acclaim because it’s an impressive piece of cinema.

August 8, 2013 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Blu-Ray review | Amour Blu-ray Review, Amour Oscars, Emmanuelle Riva, Michael Haneke