” …until death do you part” is a powerful commitment. I have seen couples last together to the end of their lives, as well as couples where one of them chose not to be around to see their partner’s last breath. From the time my parents were married, every night at bedtime they would lie in bed holding hands. Even as my mother went deeper into the fog of Alzheimer’s disease, they still held hands. The older generation of my mother’s family were made of couples who had been married for 60 to 70 years. Throughout that span of time each of them faced times of joyfulness as well as sadness. In this moving story the couple in their 80’s had been married for many years. Georges and Anne, played by Jean-Louis Trintigant (The Conformist, Those Who Love Me Can Take the Train) and Emmanuelle Riva (Mon fils a moi, Three Colors: Blue) were retired music teachers, enjoying life as well as each other’s company. Their daughter Alexandre, played by Isabelle Huppert (The Piano Teacher, 8 Women), lived abroad. One day as Anne and Georges were having a meal together, Anne became momentarily unresponsive. From that moment on, the couple’s emerging new reality would constantly test the bond of their relationship. Writer and director Michael Haneke (The White Ribbon, The Piano Teacher) created an unapologetic view of an elderly couple’s life that millions today face on a daily basis. Having just been nominated for an Oscar in the best actress category, Emmanuelle Riva was incredible. I had to keep reminding myself that she was an actress playing Anne because her performance was so starkly real. Playing off of her in a more muted but just as powerful performance was Jean-Louis. My only criticism was the slow pacing in parts. By the time we were into the last quarter of the film I had seen enough. But then maybe that is exactly what the director wanted the audience to experience, to feel time from an elderly perspective. A moving story that reminded me of my uncle’s saying: Growing old is not for the weak. French with English subtitles.

3 2/3 stars