Still not really sure about whether this was a good movie or not. On the one hand, it isn't really doing anything terribly wrong but on the other it's just never the most exciting, entertaining or interesting movie to watch.

It's one of those thrillers that's going for a more gritty and realistic approach but the problem with it is that the movie its story isn't really suited for such a type of approach really. The movie is told in a (needlessly) complicated and slow manner but the story in itself is a quite simple and straightforward one actually. The movie may have worked out better, if only it had a more clever and less formulaic type of script involved. It still tries to tell its story in a clever and surprising way but without getting its viewers ever involved enough with either its story or characters.

The movie is told in such a complicated way at times, that the movie actually becomes hard to follow, despite its still very straightforward main plot line. Ultimately it's nothing more but a revenge flick, only told as if it's something way more than just that, without ever really truly becoming something more interesting or better than just the average revenge thriller.

It's a bit of a problem that the movie is taking itself so seriously, all throughout. There is never any room for any sort of entertainment or even any other lighter type of moments. So no, this is not a movie you should expect to get any fun out of. And it really could have used some more bright spots and lighter moments in it. The movie as it is does not only look very bleak, it also really feels that way.

But that's also due to how the actors portray their characters in this movie. They constantly keep a straight face and it seems to be impossible for them to smile (well, at least for Noomi Rapace's character there is a good explanation for it, early on in the movie). Especially the movie its main character, played by Colin Farrell, feels like a very bland one, just because of that. He's not a very likable protagonist, also because the movie does a poor job at giving him enough background and a strong and sensible enough character motivation.

It feels that the movie either should have been one totally focused on its characters and as a sort of character study if you will, with more depth and emotions to it, or as a more Hollywoodized thriller, with some more intriguing twists and developments to it. The movie now isn't really being either one of those and it feels stuck somewhere between different movie styles, without ever doing anything interesting or surprising enough to constantly keep you intrigued and involved.

The movie is still not a bad one and I also do still consider it to be perfectly watchable but it just isn't one that I can wholeheartedly recommend as well.

6/10

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Of course not just everyone is going to like this movie. Not just necessarily because of its themes but more so because of its approach. Michael Haneke movies always require a certain taste but I feel that the more 'seasoned' movie goer should always be able to appreciate his movies on at least some levels.

And it's not like I like simply everything Michael Haneke does but I still admire hie style of film-making. It's the more 'quiet' and subtle type of film-making, he makes use of. The type of film-making and storytelling that doesn't simply lays out everything for you but more or less 'forces' you to constantly keep thinking for yourself and to be involved with the events on the screen. You have to make up your own mind about- and piece certain things together for yourself, regarding certain plot developments and character's motivations.

I feel that "Amour" is also being a prefect example of this particular style of film-making, though at the same time it's also slightly more conventional and accessible than the usual Haneke outing in my opinion. Maybe it's because of its story or maybe because of its characters but it might come down to it that this movie is very easy to relate to with its themes, for just about everybody.

No, not all people who are going to watch this are in their 80's or had to deal with a dying family member, from up close. But it's more easy to relate to in the sense that it deals with some universal themes. It makes you think about your own immortality really and makes you realize nothing is going to last for ever. It's not a movie that's telling you 'getting old sucks' but one that shows you some things are just inevitable and irreversible.

Of course you could also just take this a very well layered and developed love story. People can change, your health can change, social conditions and other things around you can change as you grow older but your love for a person can always stay the same, or can keep on growing- or developing into something even bigger and stronger, which can last till death and could even transcend it.

It's a very effective movie, mainly thanks to its simplicity as well. It's pretty straightforward with its story and doesn't really feature any distractions in it. It features mostly on just its two main characters and their love and bond, which they had developed over the years. They don't tell you that but it's something you could very easily sense throughout the entire movie.

So yes, it also especially thrives on just its two main actors, played by the elderly Emmanuelle Riva and Jean-Louis Trintignant. Actors I literally had see for the last time in movies that were made decades ago and pretty much had disappeared off the radar (at least my radar), up until this movie. Both are excellent in their roles and they manage to handle all of the drama and emotions in a very effective and sensible way. You feel their bond and understand their reasoning and you can almost sense what they feel at times.

I still wouldn't go as far to call this movie an absolutely perfect one. One of the things that slight bothered me was that the movie was going to fast at times. Might come across as a joke, since it's a movie that's filled with some extremely long drawn out shots, in which the camera never moves or cuts away (which I loved by the way and felt was something extremely effective for this movie). But still, the story moves a bit too fast at times and it feels that it glosses over some stuff at times. I don't know, the whole way the Jean-Louis Trintignant's characters health started to suddenly decline felt a bit rushed at parts. I know things like this can happen fast in real life but I'm more talking about that this movie doesn't always show and tell you everything, regarding the character's health situation and makes some sudden jumps with it. I don't really know if the movie actually would had been a better one if it showed some more details. Maybe it would had made this movie unnecessarily sappy and would have made the drama feel too forced but I still do feel the movie could had done a bit more with it at times.

But really, this is of course not ruining the movie in any way. It remains one greatly effective and powerful movie to watch, that besides is far more accessible than you might expect, mainly thanks to its universal and timeless themes, which everybody should be able to relate with.

8/10

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