Michael Haneke
New Film: Amour
Country: Germany
Age: 70
Best Known for: The twisty French thriller Cache and the German Palme-winning drama The White Ribbon
Cannes History
Quite extensive. See below.
His Resume
I wrote about Reality director Matteo Garrone being thrust from obscurity to international fame with one successful appearance at Cannes (2008's Gomorrah). Haneke is almost the exact opposite. He's been building a resume of critical acclaim for many years, and some would argue this resume led to his The White Ribbon's Palme d'Or win over Jacques Audiard's A Prophet in 2009 (but that's another discussion for another day).
The point is it's hard to pick Haneke's most notable, well-known, or successful film. There's Funny Games, which stands our for it's horrifying depiction of violence (and for the fact that Haneke remade the film in English in 2007). Code Unknown won Haneke his first Cannes gold (2000's Prize of the Ecumenical Jury). The Piano Teacher won Haneke a Grand Prix in 2002, while Cache nabbed him the title of Best Director 2005.
The White Ribbon, it could be argued, is Haneke's crowning achievement by default. It won him a long-awaited Palme d'Or, was nominated for two Oscars, and was really freaking good. But Haneke's films are too diverse to resort to such simple comparisons. A German morality tale, a polemic against violence (times two), a fierce drama about sex and music, and a thrilling mystery—and this is just the latter half of Haneke's career. Dig a little deeper, and you'll find some projects (71 Fragments of a Chronology of Chance, Benny's Video) that sound really interesting—and were all written and directed by Haneke.
Haneke On-Demand
Hulu Plus: N/A
iTunes: The White Ribbon, Funny Games (2008), Cache
Netflix Instant: The Piano Teacher, Code Unknown, Funny Games (1998)
Vudu: Funny Games (2008), Cache, Time of the Wolf, 71 Fragments of a Chronology of Chance, Benny's Video
Amour
"The story follows the elderly couple Georges (Trintignant) and Anne (Riva), who are in their eighties. They are cultivated, retired music teachers, but one day Anne has an attack that tests their bond." —The Playlist
Amour was picked up by Sony Pictures Classics just days before the Cannes lineup was announced, which can only mean good things. Haneke is working with actors both old (Isabelle Huppert on her third go-around with the director) and new (William Shimell, so good in Certified Copy), but the crew is full of familiar faces—editors Monika Willi and Nadine Muse, cinematographer Darius Khondji, sound designer Guillaume Sciama.
The subject matter sounds unsurprisingly grim, though perhaps with more of a humanist touch than Haneke's most recent work. This could mean good things, considering the jury and the films they tend to make. This isn't the Tim Burton jury. Nor is it the kind that's likely to award a The Tree of Life-style experiment. Life-affirming drama seems like the flavor of the year with the likes of Nanni Moretti, Alexander Payne, and Ewan McGregor (among others) making the decision, and though we have little to go on, Amour seems like it belongs right in their niche.
The only obstacle, in that case, would be Haneke's recent win. Does the Jury want to award a guy who won the Palme just three years ago (especially considering his biggest rival that year is back in Competition, as well). We'll have to wait and see.
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