Movietime in Manhattan Takes a Trip to Paris with AMOUR, by SONY PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMENT Highly Recommended by Whom You Know Available on Blu-ray™ & DVD August 20th Our Coverage Sponsored by Hallak Cleaners the Couture Cleaner
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Often times, less is more. And in this age of movie remakes and special effects galore, we often forget how much better something can be when a movie is exemplary because of the simplicity of the topic and the excellence in acting, which is precisely what you will find in AMOUR. You might expect with a name like AMOUR, this will immediately capture your heart but instead, it is a slow burn as you are brought inside a deep lifelong relationship between Anne and George, an elderly couple who have lived a beautiful life in Paris.
Life is perfect in Paris, n'est pas?
We applaud the bravery for shining the spotlight on elderly actors and the subject of aging and eventual death, and both
Jean-Louis Trintignant (A Man and a Woman, My Night at Maud’s) and Emmanuelle Riva (Skylab, Can’t Say No) prove to the audience immediately that they have still got it. We wish we saw more movies starring older actors because they are like a fine wine! Their performance was truly flawless and carried the movie entirely.
You'll see the summary of Amour at the conclusion, and you can see it has won and been nominated for all kinds of awards, which of course is nice. However, we hope you read Whom You Know because you want to know what we think of it and why you'll like it too.
This film you will love because it will remind you of your grandparents you miss that maybe you don't have anymore too, or maybe your parents if you are older than us, or really anyone older that has made a difference in your life that you appreciate. Everyone will be able to relate to this film: it is universally appealing. And we must say, since we all get old anyway, it certainly seems easier to take when it is told in the beautiful French language-yes, we are all lucky this film is in French and for the non-francophiles out there, there are English subtitles for you.
The film begins and winds down with scenes that are shocking, but truly part of life.
We don't choose how we get old, and we have no choice whether we do. What happens when your exterior shell can no longer keep up with your internal spirit?
There's something Bloombergesque (as in Mayor Mike) we see in the face of Jean-Louis Trintignant...
The apartment is beautiful. It is the setting for most of the movie, and starting at the door going counterclockwise to us we interpreted it in this order: Kitchen, Salon/Living Room, Bedroom, and Bathroom. Once Anne suffers a stroke early on, it is clear that their lives will be changed forever and her husband Georges is clearly her knight in shining armor who shows her his love through his actions. We like how this movie is not sentimental but rather meets life straight on. The beauty in daily life is brought to the forefront as you see everything he helps her with now that have become a challenge since her right side is paralyzed.
We don't blame Anne one bit for not liking doctors and wanting to stay far away from hospitals.
From wheel chair to arm chair, from bathrooms to feedings, George does it all. He wants to, which is key.
We like how George puts peach juice in Anne's cereal to make it taste better. And best of all, he can still make her giggle like a schoolgirl, which is one of the most beautiful parts of this movie.
You can see so much in emotions rather than words. Anne refuses to let her pride suffer, and doesn't want George to see how challenging it is to hold a book in bed. We can't imagine how hard it must be to act as if you are paralyzed.
Eva, who has life challenges of her own, is their only daughter who also struggles with the situation. The tea's not very hot, but it will perk you up...We suggest you watch this film more than once because you will probably see nuances the second time you didn't see the first. Amour is pure brilliance and it is an intelligent film. (And it is also enjoyable to sip this wine from France while you view Amour...) It is about attitude, patience, enjoying your youth while you have it and appreciating your life when you don't. All characters show great courage that you'll admire. We love when Anne goes and looks at old photos.
Amour is clearly a celebration of life, and though it's not uplifting in a straightforward manner, as you live the lives of each character you see that aging is universal, and not at all a choice. And isn't this how life is supposed to be? You grow old with the one you love? Everyone should be so lucky to have a George or an Anne in their life, and when you watch Amour, for two hours you will have both. When you get old, what will you be drawing...stars or flowers?
Amour is Highly Recommended by Whom You Know.
Bravo Sony Pictures Home Entertainment!
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Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is thrilled to announce that writer/director Michael Haneke’s powerful film, AMOUR, will be available on Blu-ray™ and DVD August 20th. The Sony Pictures Classics film starring Jean-Louis Trintignant (A Man and a Woman, My Night at Maud’s), Emmanuelle Riva (Skylab, Can’t Say No) and Isabelle Huppert (I Heart Huckabees, Madame Bovary), is one of the most critically acclaimed films of the past year, winning the Academy Award®, Golden Globe®, BAFTA and Independent Spirit Award for Best Foreign Language film. Oscar® nominations also included Best Achievement in Directing and Best Original Screenplay for Haneke, and Best Actress in a Leading Role for Riva who,
at age 85, became the oldest Best Actress nominee of all time. AMOUR also made Academy Award® history with a nomination for Best Picture, making it one of only four films to be nominated for both Best Picture and
Best Foreign Language Film in the same year. The film was awarded numerous additional honors, including Best Picture from the César Awards, the 25th European Film Awards, the National Society of Film Critics and the Los Angeles Film Critics. Both the César Awards and the 25th European Film Awards also gave the
Best Director trophy to Haneke, with top acting awards for Riva and Trintignant. Riva was named Best Actress by BAFTA, the National Society of Film Critics and the Los Angeles Film Critics.
Bonus features on the Blu-ray and DVD include the “Making of AMOUR” featurette and a Q & A with Haneke.
Synopsis
George and Anne are in their eighties. They are cultivated, retired music teachers. Their daughter, who is also a musician, lives abroad with her family. One day Anne has an attack and the couple’s bond of love is severely tested.
Special Features include:
The Making of Amour
Q & A with Director Michael Haneke
AMOUR was written and directed by Michael Haneke. The film was produced by Margaret Menegoz,
Stefan Arndt, Veit Heiduschka and Michael Katz and stars Jean-Louis Trintignant, Emmanuelle Riva and Isabelle Huppert.
It has a run time of 127 minutes and is rated PG-13 for mature thematic material including a disturbing act and for brief language. The film is in French with English subtitles.
Sony Pictures Entertainment can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.sonypictures.com.
"Academy Award®" and "Oscar®" are the registered trademarks and service marks of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
For more information about Sony Pictures Classics films and DVDs, please visit www.sonyclassics.com.
SONY PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMENT
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is a Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) company. Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE's global operations encompass motion picture production, acquisition and distribution; television production, acquisition and distribution; television networks; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; and development of new entertainment products, services and technologies. For additional information, go to http://www.sonypictures.com/.
