Amour

Amour is one of nine films nominated for the Best Picture Oscar.  As the films are listed alphabetically on the Oscar website, reviews will be in alphabetical order.

The first trailer I watched was in French with no subtitles.  I watched the whole 2 minute trailer without really understanding the dialogue, but tried to take in the visuals.  My first response was: the Academy will likely not vote for a French film to be Best Picture two years in a row, unless it was silent again. But then this isn't 1925 so back-to-back silent film Oscars aren't likely.  Is there a silent film nominated?  I wish some films were silent, but I digress.

Whenever I meet someone who has been married for more than 20 years, I always ask the same question:  What's the secret to a long and happy marriage?  I'm sure you've heard many of these...

"Never go to bed angry."

"Don't sweat the small stuff."

"Pick your battles carefully."

"Happy wife, happy life."

"Ask yourself, do I want to be right, or do I want to be happy?"

I then watched the Amour trailer that had subtitles.

The trailer for Amour shows an elderly couple that have had a long and happy marriage - an apparent perfect relationship with much in common. The wife falls ill, terminally it appears, and the husband and daughter are left trying to make sense of it all - or both fall ill and the daughter is left dealing with it.  I wasn't sure but didn't want to watch the trailer again.

I have no doubt that the drama will be real and moving.  I have no doubt that almost everyone who sees this film will relate because almost everyone has experienced extreme happiness, hardship and tragic loss.  And, as I'm sure will be the case in Amour, coming to some sort of understanding followed by some kind of peace or acceptance, will occur.

While I felt compassion watching the trailer and it stirred memories of my father's long illness and subsequent death, by the end of the trailer I didn't want to relate any more.

So while the trailer did a good job of stirring real emotions, they were emotions that we all have felt, or will, so is someone else's story going to make me feel better about mine?

Maybe.

But I'll likely never find out as I have no desire to see this film.