Amour

[oktophonie]

Has anyone else seen this? Michael Haneke is easily my favourite director (not sure what that says about me...); in my dream world he makes the TC films as I can't imagine anyone else treating the material with the seriousness it deserves. And I also love the fact that he basically doesn't use music in his films (my ideal TC films would have next to no music either, and I say that as a musician).

Anyway, while it was probably his warmest and most 'human' film so far - which perhaps isn't saying much - I think it perhaps qualifies as the most upsetting two hours I've spent in the cinema. I can't remember a time I've more direly needed a hug than as I staggered home afterwards. But, it's clearly a masterpiece.

What Haneke shares with SRD (or at least what the effects of their work on me have in common!) is the sometimes scary grip they have on one's emotions. This film had me in tears just as reading "Lord Mhoram's Victory" had me in tears on the train home today [embarrassingly] - for very different reasons - and even being aware, even just peripherally, that you're being almost clinically manipulated at times, doesn't detract from the effect.