As we enter the homestretch of the quest to see all the Best Picture nominees, Candice and I are now through seven of the nine pictures…and the plot thickens.  That’s because today we had the opportunity to see the achingly sad yet well crafted French movie Amour.

Candice and I had the afternoon free here in Southern California between a swim meet, lunch with Claire, and dinner with Claire’s swim team members, coaches, and parents.  We found that Amour was playing nearby, and took the chance to see this gem of a picture.

The movie, about an elderly pair of music teachers and their life together after the wife suffers a stroke, hit so many deep emotions – many of them close to home.  There was less action in the entire movie than what I expect to see in five minutes of Django Unchained, but the emotional depths that are plumed are raw and rich.

Emmanuelle Riva is wonderful as Anne, the wife, and well deserving of a Best Actress award this year.  She was beautiful and vulnerable and so much more.  People talked about crying through Les Mis…well, for my money Amour is a much better film and truly worthy of the tears that come at the end.

So, I have a bit of a shake-up in my list now, having seen 7 of the 9 nominees.  Lincoln is still my top choice, but I have Amour just edging out Argo – perhaps a 2 and 2A selection.  Here’s how the list looks now:

1. Lincoln

2. Amour

2A. Argo

3. Silver Linings Playbook

4. Life of Pi

5. Les Mis

6. Beasts of the Southern Wild

Like me, Candice’s list saw a shake-up as she also ranked Amour second.  Her list:

1. Lincoln

2. Amour

3. Les Mis

4. Argo

5. Silver Linings Playbook

6. Life of Pi

7. Beasts of the Southern Wild

We’re only a few days out.  I’m going to try to see Zero Dark Thirty at a minimum before the night of the show.  Until then, feel free to give me your thoughts – or your list – in the comments section below.

More to come…

DJB