Amour

[Beate]

If anyone has Picturehouse member tickets for this for Greenwich on Sunday, please be advised that they made a mistake when they allocated seats - it is General Admission and everyone is allowed to sit where they like, including SFF members - thank God for that. The manager just called me after I queried this yesterday - he is apparently going to call up all members with tickets.

[asamaic]

Wanted to see this at The Gate today, but didn't get in. Apparently there was an allocation for SFF ticket holders (180) and the rest was for members, so once the SFF allocation was full, no more people were allowed in. We did ask if we could wait to see if any members didn't turn up, but members are allowed in up to 15 minutes late and SFF ticket holders aren't, so we were all told to go away. There were a few angry Guardian readers, due to the perceived queue jumping, but the only people getting ahead were PH members, who were under a different system anyway. It's not as if SFF people were pushing past other SFF people.

You win some, you lose some, I suppose. And given this is the first time I've not got in to see a film, I suppose that's not bad going.

Shame, this one looked good!

[Beate]

I have also been told recently that as a PH member you are guaranteed a seat and they will turn SFF members away even if there are empty seats if there are still members that haven't turned up yet. I am both PH and SFF member and I think it's a bit unfair to be honest but ever more reason to go for a member ticket for me now.

Anyway, nice to see a few FMUK faces today but God, that film was depressing. And so slooooow. I appreciate the subject matter but I was so tired this morning that if it hadn't been subtitled I could at least have closed my eyes and just listened.

The film was just bascially showing this old wealthy French couple coming to grips with her having a stroke and getting increasingly worse, with him shouldering all the burden of caring for her at home. Their daughter, although concerned, didn't offer any practical help, and for some strange reason he fired the nurse he had hired just a few days previously though it can't have been the money as he always carried stacks of notes around (he counted out 800 Euros for her payment and when a neighbour wanted to give him back 23 Euros from the shopping money she had received he said "Keep the change"!). I don't know whether the other nurse was a state nurse but I thought they were getting appalingly little outside help, with the doctor and a hairdresser (hairdresser?) coming only every 2 weeks, and only a neighbour giving them some help with the shopping.

There was also a moment where he had a nightmare that made the whole cinema jump that didn't really fit into the film at all imho, plus some drawn-out scenes with a damn pigeon. It's a devastating story but also really long (over 2 hours) and I was spent at the end.

And what was this business with him always leaving the tap running? I was itching to shout at him to turn the bloody tap off!

Greenwich did not observe the 2 minute silence and instead showed 15 minutes of trailers, one after the other. Let's see, we got Silver Linings Playbook, Sightseers, The Hunt, Quartet, The Master, The Impossible (God that made me cry and it was only the trailer!) and something called The Oranges. Does anyone remember others?

6/10

[jojojoanne]

Was up much later than I wanted to be last night, so was very pleased (shocked!) that I was up and out early and in time for the film! In fact, I got there before the doors had even opened, so took advantage and got a latte from the cafe opposite (which helped me stay awake for the two hour duration of the film and what seemed like forever for the trailers!) Waaaayyyy tooo many trailers (although, I do fancy seeing all of the films!!) I can't say I 'enjoyed' the film, but I did find it very interesting and emotional. I didn't cry, but did text my Mum and Dad as soon as I got out!! It was nice, once again, to see Beate and OH. And thank you, Beate, for introducing me to 'hottips'!

[arewenotben]

I saw this at Brixton and thought it was the best film of the year so far. Completely emotionally draining with superb central performances.

My screening was probably about 60% full so there must have been several no-shows, no problems at all using the SFF voucher.

[valda]

what's with the trailers? We never get them at Notting Hill when I go there

[asamaic]

what's with the trailers? We never get them at Notting Hill when I go there

Did you go today? I was wondering how full it actually was.

[tsoiboy]

Saw this today at Greenwich PH. The film started after about 20mins of trailers and most of these films looked good and worth a watch.

The film was an emotionally draining 2 hours and at times felt even longer with the drawn out scenes. The acting was excellent but the subject matter was so draining. Plus the total lack of a soundtrack made the film extremely stark and barren. The film is about sickness in old age and in this case how little help is given from outside and the burden of care falling on the immediate partner. As the film progresses her physical illness worsens with the onset of a further stroke and at the same time her mental health declines too. Her partner's physical and mental health also declines too and mirrors her physical and mental decline but more subtlety. It touches on the sensitive subject of euthanasia at the early start of the film.

The ending does become predictable in the end.

There is one nightmare scene which would not go amiss in a good horror film though in this film it was not necessary and out of context. There was a definite audible gasp in the cinema.

This is the most depressing film I have seen this year. Again I have to say it is not because of the acting but the subject matter. See it at your own risk.

6/10 for the film. 9/10 for the acting.

[jeanelle]

what's with the trailers? We never get them at Notting Hill when I go there

Did you go today? I was wondering how full it actually was.

It was completely full. We got there early and were second in the queue. Just before it opened quite a few people came and stood at the front of the queue, I don't know if they had members' tickets, but the peopled who'd been queuing were getting a bit annoyed. So they made the SFF ticket holders exchange the printouts for tickets while the ticket holders could go straight in.

Regarding the film we thought the acting was amazing and how difficult it must have been for people that age to perform something that they could be so close to either through friends or imagining themselves in that situation. Agree with Beate about the dream and the pigeon sequences. Also it was hard to work out the timescale of it all as he seemed to be wearing that cardigan all the way through. Heart rending and emotionally draining.

[TheDude]

There was definitely some queue jumping outside the Gate. I couldn't be bothered to argue with the two people who barged ahead of me once the door opened, just didn't think it would be so full. Amazingly someone short sat in front of me so I could actually see the subtitles. As for the film, bloody hell, how grim was that. Brilliantly acted and everything, but not something I'd want to sit through again. 7/10