Winner of the 2012 Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or and Austria’s entry for Best Foreign Language Film at the 85th Academy Awards, Amour has garnered universal praise for its examination of the affects of a degenerative disease upon an elderly couple.
Georges (Jean-Louis Trintingnant) and Anne (Emmanuelle Riva) are retired classical-music teachers savouring their golden years together when Anne suffers a stroke that leaves her partially paralysed. Georges must adapt to the challenges of caring for his wife as their world shrinks and the bond of love is tested in extremis.
As winner of the Palme d’Or in 2009 for The White Ribbon, Michael Haneke deservedly joins a select group of directors winning the prestigious award a second time, and the first to do so for back-to-back films in such quick succession.