Amour

Amour
(2012) [Trailer]
Director: Michael Haneke [IMDB]

I've been reading a lot of buzz about this film. It picked up the Palme d'Or at Cannes, has been atop many "best of 2012" lists, and almost gave the folks over at Gawker a heart attack. I decided to finally give into the hype machine and check this bad larry out.

Synopsis: An aging couple's love is put to the test when one of them falls ill and starts down the path towards death.

Now, if that synopsis didn't set off any bells maybe this will... this movie is bleak. It's not a feel good film in any sense and will probably make you want to have a drink afterwards... well maybe that's just me being an alcoholic. It's extremely sad and had me in tears throughout many scenes, I normally dont tear up in movies, but this one destroyed me. Wow... I don't know where to start, I was floored by this and the emotions it invoked in me. This is filmmaking at it's best and is truly worthy of terms like "masterpiece" and "a work of art." I haven't felt this moved by a film since I first saw Wild Strawberries, which actually shares a lot of the same themes. Both Jean-Louis Trintignant and Emmanuelle Riva are perfect, and Michael Haneke's direction is flawless in my book.

Love is something a lot of people look for in this world and often times... think they've found. People will confuse it with lust and will lose it as quick as they found it. But when it's real, it's really beautiful and when you see a film like Amour shed light on it in a unique way, it makes you appreciate it so much more. I finished this film and wondered how many people who say they are in love would go through this, this is really love.

Funny Games

Funny Games
(1997) [Trailer]
Director: Michael Haneke (IMDB)

Synopsis: A family weekend at the lake house is rudely interrupted by to psychopaths.

Michael Haneke recently remade an English version of this film as well, so if you're not a fan of subtitles I guess he has got you covered on both ends. I can read, so it doesn't matter to me.

Funny Games is big win for me, I really enjoyed it and it's unlike any thriller I've seen in recent memory. I knew I was in for a treat when the opening title popped up on screen. There's a lot of interesting things that are foreshadowed throughout the first half of the movie... the neighbors, the knife, the golf clubs and so on. What really impressed me was how unconventional Funny Games is. I'm gonna say if you're not interested in having the movie spoiled, stop here and watch it, it rules. It's available on Netflix streaming.

SPOILER START: Haneke does a masterful job at toying with the audience in this film.
Three examples that I loved:
1. The scene where the wife is forced to strip in front of the family. A normal film would have exploited that and showed the nudity, instead Haneke filmed a close up of the mothers face.
2. The rewind scene, when you finally think the mother has revenge, it's striped away from you.
3. The boat scene at the end... you know the knife is there, but it's quickly tossed off the boat and the mother follows right behind it.

It's like Haneke knows you're a sick fuck... you want nudity...you want violence and revenge... nope. He gives it to you his way. The bad guys win. SPOILER END.