Why It's Great: Michael Haneke has served up another shocking, striking piece of cinema, but this time there are no killer children or teenage psychopaths to be seen. No, the villain in Amour is simply the passing of time, as an elderly couple come to terms with the onset of debilitating illness. Haneke confronts death with quiet understatement, facing the realities of old age with an unflinching eye and creating an unglamorous but affectingly romantic story in the process. A triumph.

Chances Of Winning The Palme d'Or: The frontrunner at present, having scored rave reviews across the board. Haneke won in 2009, which could count against him, but on its own merits, the film deserves to be among the strong favourites.