Michael Haneke wrote and directed this extraordinary film that so sensitively explores the soul and meaning of love, and his formidable talent executes the physical and emotional demand it requires to be told effectively and correctly. This is a film of quiet sophistication and respect and will likely stand as one of the greatest love stories ever placed before the public in a film.
Georges (Jean-Louis Trintignant) and Anne (Emmanuelle Riva) are a couple of retired music teachers enjoying life in their eighties, attending concerts where Anne's pupil Alexandre (Alexandre Tharaud) is performing the Schubert Impromptus. In their comfortable home they enjoy each other's sensitivity and pleasures, but one morning at breakfast Anne suffers a TIA from which she seems to recover rather quickly. The moments of Anne's silence and lack of response trigger a sense of panic in Georges, and despite the fact that she recovers, he takes her to the hospital. Anne undergoes a carotid endarterectomy but the surgical result is a failure (she is one of the 5% of failure rates). Returning home with a right hemiparalysis begins Anne's harrowingly steep physical and mental decline as Georges attempts to care for her at home as she wishes. Even as the fruits of their lives and career remain bright, the couple's hopes for some dignity prove a dispiriting struggle even as their daughter Eva (Isabelle Huppert), also a musician, enters the conflict. In the end, George, with his love fighting against his own weariness and diminished future on top of Anne's, is driven to make some critical decisions for them both. The couple's bond of love is severely tested but then breathtaking conclusion radiates the power and durability of true love.
Both Jean-Louis Trintignant and Emmanuelle Riva offer impeccable performances, and Isabelle Huppert adds a superlative supporting role as the daughter who does not seem to fathom her parents' love. The musical score is devoted to Schubert's Impromptus Nos. 1 and 3 and Moment musical No. 3, Beethoven's opus 126 Bagatelle No. 2 and opus 33 Bagatelles Nos. 2 and 4 and the Bach-Busoni Prelude Chorale 'Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ' - performed by pianist Alexandre Tharaud who also plays himself in the film as Anne's pupil. Every aspect of this film is treasureable. It is one of the most beautiful films of the time. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, August 13
Georges (Jean-Louis Trintignant) and Anne (Emmanuelle Riva) are a couple of retired music teachers enjoying life in their eighties, attending concerts where Anne's pupil Alexandre (Alexandre Tharaud) is performing the Schubert Impromptus. In their comfortable home they enjoy each other's sensitivity and pleasures, but one morning at breakfast Anne suffers a TIA from which she seems to recover rather quickly. The moments of Anne's silence and lack of response trigger a sense of panic in Georges, and despite the fact that she recovers, he takes her to the hospital. Anne undergoes a carotid endarterectomy but the surgical result is a failure (she is one of the 5% of failure rates). Returning home with a right hemiparalysis begins Anne's harrowingly steep physical and mental decline as Georges attempts to care for her at home as she wishes. Even as the fruits of their lives and career remain bright, the couple's hopes for some dignity prove a dispiriting struggle even as their daughter Eva (Isabelle Huppert), also a musician, enters the conflict. In the end, George, with his love fighting against his own weariness and diminished future on top of Anne's, is driven to make some critical decisions for them both. The couple's bond of love is severely tested but then breathtaking conclusion radiates the power and durability of true love.
Both Jean-Louis Trintignant and Emmanuelle Riva offer impeccable performances, and Isabelle Huppert adds a superlative supporting role as the daughter who does not seem to fathom her parents' love. The musical score is devoted to Schubert's Impromptus Nos. 1 and 3 and Moment musical No. 3, Beethoven's opus 126 Bagatelle No. 2 and opus 33 Bagatelles Nos. 2 and 4 and the Bach-Busoni Prelude Chorale 'Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ' - performed by pianist Alexandre Tharaud who also plays himself in the film as Anne's pupil. Every aspect of this film is treasureable. It is one of the most beautiful films of the time. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, August 13