R.I.P. Emmanuelle Riva (1927-2017)

Emmanuelle Riva in Amour

On January 27, 2017, actress Emmanuelle Riva died at the age of 89 in Paris, France from cancer. The French actress had a lengthy career full of great performances. She is most likely going to be remembered for her role in director Michel Haneke's Amour, in which she played a dying woman opposite Jean-Louis Trintignant. Her career featured several astounding performances that played to her strengths and helped solidify her as a unique talent. She leaves behind an impressive body of work the likes of which cannot be matched. 

Review: "Amour" is a Great Love Story Coming to an End

Left to right: Jean Louis-Trintignant and Emmannuelle Riva

One of the great perks of the Oscars this year was director Michael Haneke's surprise Best Picture/Best Director nominations for Amour. While foreign films have managed to sneak into the Best Picture race (the previous being Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), it is a rarity that was met with fine applause that at least the Academy was still recognizing world cinema. True, the Best Foreign Film category may be lacking great films like Holy Motors and Rust and Bone, but it still has some reputable titles like No. However, what is it about Haneke's tale of love in the twilight years that was so enduring, and was it really Best Picture worthy?