Amour - and why 'arthouse' isn't for me

Director - Michael Haneke
Starring - Jean-Louis Trintignant, Emmanuelle Riva
Details - 127 mins, French
Release -  2012
IMDB score - 7.8 

Somethings definitely changing with the critic inside me. At one time I read Empire religiously and took in online comments and the general consensus allowing it become my own opinion.  It, without doubt, had a detrimental effect on the way I write. But now I'm changed reviewer!.. sort of... well, I'm try to be more relaxed, more honest and taking off the consensus or pretentious tinted spectacles.

I thought Amour was a good film to show this because its reception was generally very positive, especially within arthouse circles. Yet, at one time I probably would've agreed with the consensus, and extracted all the elements that I thought had made it so well received.'Amour was brilliantly acted, with fantastic camera shots' I would say... 'Its highly realistic, really immersing us in the sad yet uplifting world of real love' blah blah etc etc - it's just a dull, uninspired way of writing and surely if I was writing this way, other people have been doing the same? It only makes sense that naturally we like to follow the consensus in order to fit in. But, if I'm brutally honest with myself, I found Amour rather boring! 

Basically it's about an elderly couple whose love is tested when the wife deteriorates after a stroke. Amour is honest and realistic about such a situation - showing us exactly how it is - and yes it does have its strengths as an arthouse film. Yet, apart the ending, which did send a poignant message to me about just how far love can be tested, the rest of the film was mostly a slow, dull and drawn out affair.

I feel bad being so negative, but it just doesn't make for engrossing cinema. Amour didn't capture me, or immerse me. The ending made me think - which was good - but up until that point it was just slow and sad. Scenes were they stared at each other for, what felt like minutes. Scenes were they'd have slow conversations about nothing much in particular. Scenes were he'd try and catch a pigeon and frustratingly fail at such an agaonisingly slow speed. Apart from the slow scenes, the other scenes were just upsetting. The house itself were it was nearly all set was drab itself! To someone else this all might be describing why the film is so excellent and well made, but personally I learnt very little and can summarise my emotion as overall boredom, interjected by moments of sadness. Overrated.

5 - Rent only if you are a fan of arthouse cinema. But maybe ask yourself why in this case.