Cannes Film Festival: 20 Best Palme D'Or Winners Ever

Few films - if any - have ever captured the ravages of old age and the power of unconditional love as intensely as Michael Haneke's heartwrenching drama Amour.

Telling the story of a couple in their 80s, the French romantic drama follows former music teacher Anne (Emmanuelle Riva) as she suffers a debilitating stroke and begins to rely on her husband Georges (Jean-Louis Trintignant) for constant care. Along the way, the pair question their mortality and Anne struggles to adapt to her new circumstances.

An insightful and constantly soul-crushing story of loss, memory and unavoidable change, Amour works because of its simple story but heightened emotional core, and the two intelligent and personal performances at its centre.

Though far from an easy watch (bring some tissues - seriously), Amour is nonetheless a masterpiece of human drama, tackling its themes of love, life, death and hope with such raw power and intelligence that watching it never once feels like a chore.