Intense, gripping, stylish and poignant

This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Do not be confused by the title of this 90-minute movie: "Amour fou" is not a French movie, but an Austrian film from last year written and directed by Jessica Hausner. The cast includes some names that should be known to German/Austrian audiences. The main character is played by Christian Friedel ("Das weiße Band"), the male co-lead is portrayed by Stepphan Grossman, also a familiar face, even if I did not remember the name. Katharine Schüttler and Sandra Hüller, 2 of Germany's most respected younger actresses right now, play supporting characters. The female lead is played by Birte Schnoeink, who is a newcomer to playing main characters, but she did a good job here, reminded me of Carey Mulligan.The film is about a man who is unhappy with his life at the early 19th century and plans to commit suicide. However, he does not want to go alone, but convince a woman to join him not in life, but in death. After his preferred choice refuses, he finds a "victim" in another young woman. What is maybe the most interesting aspect of this film is how you perceive the main character. Yes he convinces a woman into death, but there are mitigating factors, such as him obviously suffering from depression and also that he would never force anybody to do it. It's personal perception how you like or dislike him I guess. In any case, Friedel was pretty good in here and he carried this movie nicely with Schnoeink. Finally, a word on the visual side: The costumes and set decorations are all pretty convincing and the only reason I won't give this film a higher rating is that period pieces are not exactly my favorite genre. Only weakness for me was near the end that the pistol did not go off when he tried to shoot himself. This movie really did not need a cheap thrill of that kind. Still, all in all, it was a pretty good watch and I recommend it.

Austrian screenwriter and director Jessica Hausner's fourth feature film which she wrote, is inspired by an article she came across regarding the life of a renowned German 18th and 19th century poet named Heinrich von Kleist (1777-1811). It premiered in the Un Certain Regard section at the 67th Cannes International Film Festival in 2014, was shot on locations in Germany and Luxembourg and is an Austria-Germany-Luxembourg co-production which was produced by producers Martin Gschlacht, Antonin Svoboda, Bruno Wagner, Bady Minck, Alexander Dumreicher-Ivanceanu and Philippe Bober. It tells the story about a German pianist in her early thirties named Henriette Vogel who lives in Berlin, Germany during the Kingdom of Prussia (1525-1947) with her husband named Friedrich, their daughter named Páuline and live-in maid, who wouldn't dare to demand freedom as she considers herself as the property of her spouse, and who one day is presented with a rather peculiar proposition from a German lyricist in his early thirties who stopped loving his fiancée when she wouldn't comply with his theoretically developed wish. Distinctly and precisely directed by Austrian filmmaker Jessica Hausner, this quietly paced fictional tale which is narrated by and interchangeably and simultaneously from the protagonists' viewpoints, draws a perspicaciously philosophical, retrospectively reflective and eloquently bilateral portrayal of a Protestant Christian writer, formerly imprisoned by the French military, who perpetually and eagerly as if a hypochondriac insists on gaining the compassion of Miss Vogel and his friend named Marie. While notable for its distinctly atmospheric milieu depictions, reverent cinematography by cinematographer Martin Gschlacht, production design by production designer Katharina Wöppermann and costume design by costume designer Tanja Hausner, this dialog-driven and narrative-driven story about the egotistic, ridiculous, misunderstood and ironic aspects of a four letter word, densely and non-moralistically though virtuously reconstructs real events in accordance with the vision of the filmmaker, who made her statement six years ago, rather than in accordance with biographical facts, puts fiction and documentary up against each other and situates characters in restricted roles which makes it apparent that their every attempt at freeing themselves only leads them to the realization of what a seven letter word really is.Made almost a century after the birth of the first Austrian woman to obtain a medical degree named Rosa Welt-Straus (1856-1938), forty-two-years after an Austrian-Jewish leader named Ernestine von Fürt (1877-1956) became the leader of the Union of Hebrew women for equal rights in Eretz Israel and twenty-four years before the son of a King named Christian VII (1749-1808) and a Queen named Caroline Mathilde (1751-1777) of Denmark and Norway wrote: "No one but we alone can be able to judge what is in the state and the people's true gain and best interest.", this master-act and midgame which plays on the supposed subconscious horrifying imagination of the audience, creates a rhythmically playful dance through radically and acutely staged perspectives which underlines its cinematic language, communicates by intention or not that poetry is anything but an innocent escapist game for children, youth or adults, that there exists a not self-evident though perceptible relation between mental illness and amour, places its empathy with the people who are carved into unquestioned and dictatorial conventions, depicts an exceptionally diverse study of character and contains some musical passages. This darkly and abruptly humorous fairytale and unconventional character piece which is set in Germany in the early 19th century during the Romantic era (1800-1850) after the French Revolution and where roleplaying is done in a desensitizing manner which has historic undertones and emphasizes the actors' functions as modeled actors, laws were being reinforced and a well-mannered and articulate thirty-four-year-old brother and son applies his intellect and the fanciest words of his racing vocabulary to persuade those he has set his mind on to join him in his irrational plot, is impelled and reinforced by its cogent narrative structure, subtle character development, rhythmic continuity, masterful dialog, advanced realism, the ever so gentle and self-explanatory comment by Henriette: "It is strange to have an illness that may not be one. A figment of the imagination which is as real as reality." by Marie: "…to see the pleasant side of…" and the outstandingly cinematic acting performances by German actor Christian Friedel and German actresses Birthe Schnöink and Sandra Hüller. A cinematographically picturesque narrative feature.

I saw this film at the Film Fest Ghent 2014. What I liked most is the social commentary that was intertwined throughout the story. Nice view on the issues of that era mixed with social/salon behavior of those days mixed with how houses internally looked in those days. Especially the discussions about taxes and social order were very informative, in showing how the higher classes thought at that time, while bringing forward a series of arguments why they considered democracy a bad idea. Also, they had very strong opinions why paying taxes was something for the lower classes only, pending a law proposal at that time to extend taxation to everyone irregardless of rank or title.I'm usually not fond of costume drama's. This time we were lucky to have aforementioned compensations that let me easily watch the slowly developing drama without being distracted by the historic attributes. Of course, what these people motivated to act how they acted, escapes our (at least: my) understanding. But I'm a certified nerd, and does not understand anything where romantic behavior is concerned. And, as a totally different matter, that Heinrich and Henrietta can undertake two journeys without any form of chaperoning, escapes me too.Acting is superb, to such an extent that we gradually get to understand all major protagonists better and better in the course of the movie. That Heinrich halfway tries again to convince Marie into the suicide pact, makes clear that he actually preferred her all the time (rendering Henrietta 2nd choice). Collective suicide or not, this shifting preference makes the finale still more tragic as it already would be without that complication.

I saw this film last night, at a festival - on a big screen. It was worth every penny.It's a story based on a German poet's - Heinrich von Kleist - life. I am not enough familiar with his personal life to know how accurately it depicted it, but as a story, it worked. The interesting twist is that most of the story actually focuses on Henriette, the woman Heinrich pursues with an interesting plan. To commit suicide together.The movie is not fast paced, it's a lot of dialogue and not very much comic relief (but there is some). So I wouldn't recommend it to people who only watch comedies and action packed films. But if you like human dramas, this may be a movie for you. The story was compelling (even if ridiculous at points, but that was on purpose), the acting was super well done - especially Henriette, her husband Vogel and Heinrich, and the cinematography was beautiful--some spoilers ahead -- Henriette is a married woman, with a daughter (and the cutest dog), but that doesn't stop depressed Heinrich from calling her out on her loneliness and suggesting to her that they commit suicide together, and thus end their pain. At first, Henriette is very much against this idea. But when she finds out she's suffering from an illness and overhears the doctor tell her husband that her days are numbered - she decides to agree.Throughout the movie, Heinrich is shown to be in love with a different woman, his cousin Marie, who rejected his suicide plan. And though he finds another partner he claims to love, he still wishes it will be Marie dying by his side. This makes it all so much more painful - since the movie depicts Henriette as the main character, we grow to love her (at least I did. Birte Schnoeink the actress was magnificent). Not only is she going to die, but Heinrich prefers someone else would die with him. It makes her death seem even more unnecessary. Henriette's husband, who starts out depicted as a plain man without much to offer - a smart man, but not a very emotional one - grows over the course of the 90 minutes and becomes lovable, and shows his caring more and more. It's not that the character changes, so much as he's given a chance to show all his depth and love. Another sympathetic character is their poor daughter, who is never left out of the loop when the doctor is around and is aware of the whole looming death.The cinematography was done in a masterful fashion. In addition to being beautiful and colorful, the set, the design, the costumes were all very precise. Nothing was out of place, not even an inch. And the photography brought it all together, brought it to life.--MAJOR SPOILERS-- This is not a passionate affair movie, with lots of steamy scenes. In fact, there is not even a kiss. It's a subtle film, and it's very much in sync with the era it's depicting - social conventions, propriety...The death scene was as painful as can be. Such an emotional punch. But not graphic.