The First “Amour” Of Emmanuelle Riva
The biggest thrill for me on Oscar night would be if 85-year-old Emmanuelle Riva won Best Actress for “Amour.” (Unlike LW’s Oscarologist, Rex Okpodu, whose predictions I will post tomorrow, I think Jennifer Lawrence will prevail.) One of the benefits of Riva’s nomination this year is the light it throws on her earlier movies. Michael Koresky looked at one of them and wrote: ‘”Hiroshima Mon Amour” (1959) is a groundbreaking portrait of a world come undone. Even more memorably, thanks to the brilliant precision of Emmanuelle Riva’s performance, it’s a study of a woman unraveling. In this first leading role in an astonishing cinematic career that’s led all the way to another “Amour,” Michael Haneke’s intimate 2012 drama, Riva overwhelms the frame. It’s a riveting, multifaceted performance.’
