It is hard to think of a less fun movie than “Amour”. It had its chuckles here and there, but they were just brief respites from the pain and suffering of the film. In entertainment, one of life’s great escapes, we generally choose easy/painless and happy/fun. This seems like a reasonable choice, but misses out on some of humanity’s heaviest emotional responses. Without sorrow, would there be joy? As I sat through this film, I was uncomfortable and depressed, but also perfectly aware that I was in the presence of great art. Interestingly, the most profound aspect of the movie was the lack of soundtrack. In some ways it centers around the piano and incorporates beautiful playing, but when the piano or CD player are silent, the only sounds are those of the characters. The emotion of a scene is never augmented by symphonic undertones and it would feel cheap if it were; I don’t need a minor chord to understand the depths of a character’s suffering when the acting is REAL.
I had no idea what “Amour” was about when Alaina suggested it. Great title, I thought. I love Love. I soon realized the movie was not about Love’s highs, but about its lows. And being less than 24 hours removed from The Patriots AFC Championship game loss to The Ravens, I was familiar with the Love’s bitter bite. I allow myself to have an emotional relationship with several sports teams and when their season expires prematurely, there is always an empty feeling; a void that I look to fill with other entertainment and relationships. Lucky for me, The Bruins are skating again, The Celtics have their moments, and The Red Sox can’t possibly be as bad as last year. Sports truly are a great epic drama. Even if they often turn tragedy, the eternal anticipation of exciting moments by enthralled audiences is always captivating entertainment.