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A Very Long Engagement
2004
This World War I mystery finds limitless beauty in the nostalgia of loss. Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, whose whimsical AMELIE riveted audiences, A VERY LONG ENGAGEMENT also stars Audrey Tautou--the 21st century's Audrey Hepburn--in the stubbornly emotional role of a widow in denial. Here she is Mathilde, a waifish young .. Read more
| Starring | Audrey Tautou, Gaspard Ulliel, Ticky Holgado, Chantal Neuwirth |
|---|---|
| Director | Jean-Pierre Jeunet |
| Genres | Drama, Romance, World Cinema |
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Critics' reviews (6)
View all -
Although based on the late Sébastien Japrisot's 1991 novel, Jean-Pierre Jeunet's lyrical treat for the eye and heart plays a little like “Amélie Goes to the Front”. Grittier in tone than that romantic fable — A Very Long Engagement contains unflinching scenes of battlefield carnage — and with flashes of the dark humour of Jeunet's Delicatessen, this epic romantic mystery still has whimsical charm to spare. The gorgeously gamine Audrey Tautou stars as Mathilde, the fiancée of a First World War soldier abandoned to face an ignominious death in no-man's land as punishment for a self-inflicted wound. Mathilde, trusting her intuition, refuses to believe he has been killed and begins an investigation into her lover's fate. This sweeping saga is fabulous looking and beautifully performed — two-time Oscar winner Jodie Foster has an uncredited but pivotal role — and, though overlong, remains an engaging, utterly involving portrait of unswerving devotion.
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Grand, gently moving movie on an epic scale, encompassing not only the horrors of war but also the effect it had on life after: the lush landscapes, through which our heroine travels, recover, but the people don't.
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Audrey Tautou is at her captivating best
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Most helpful members' reviews (3)
View all -
109 out of 110 people found this review helpful
Expectations
After the other films of Jeunet (Amelie, delicatessen, and the city of the lost children - Alien apart), one is entitled to expect another quirky, funny and fast paced movie...
This one is, but it is not so full of all the funny quirks Jeunet got us used to. This film is more serious - it is the adaptation of a novel whereas all the other films were purely coming from Jeunet's imagination.
But he still placed a few of these touching quirks, and the whole film is touching too. He shows the war as it is, cruel, but in a very watchable way, even for sensitive souls, and an Audrey Toutou lovely, a bit naughty, and still very determined character.
I did prefer the other films to this one, but it is still worth its 5 star, no doubt.
AND, my jaw dropped when I saw Jodie Foster, in this small, but still rewarding role: no hint of an american accent, whatsoever, as if she was another person, a real french person as that (French is my first language). I am very impressed by her performance.
In this film, you will also find all the (odd looking and excellent)actors Jeunet usually works with.
The film is captivating, with a very aesthetic washed out colour, and very well studied characters. The end is also urprising, and very poetic...
I need to say something negative?
I can't. -
34 out of 35 people found this review helpful
Jeunet brings out his magic paintbox again
To create a follow up to the much loved, adored Amelie is a pretty impossible task and this film will suffer in comparison. However on it's own merits this is a gem of a film.
Occupying a place between the real world and Jeunet's fantasy world (city of lost children, Amelie) this film looks uniquely fantastic the story whilst leading to an almost inevitable conclusion features plenty of twists and turns and some fantastic scenes.
Essentially this is a beautiful movie in its acting, style, dialogue and editing one to look forward to. -
30 out of 31 people found this review helpful
Part mystery, part war, part romance
It tells the story of a young couple, Mathilde (Audrey Tautou) and
Menoch (Gaspard Ulliel). They are childhood sweethearts who become
engaged just before Menoch is called up to fight in the trenches of
the Great War. He goes missing during the Battle of the Somme and
Mathilde devotes the next few years trying to discover what had
happened to him.
That bare-bones synopsis does no justice to one of the most
fulfilling films I have ever seen. Part mystery, part war, part
romance, it is woven together into a complete, satisfying whole.
Its two hugely-entertaining hours are rewarding because of steady
and coherent plot and character development, intercut with clever
use of metaphor and symbolism. Don't be put off by this if it sounds
high-falutin: this film isn't. It's witty and accessible, its charm
lying in its refusal to take itself too seriously. It is full of
in-jokes (which you're invited to share) and mocking self-references
(which are satisfying to spot).
The photography is outstanding. It oozes atmosphere and period. The
camera moves lovingly from cream and umber domestic sets, to steel
blues and iron greys for the battle scenes. Interspersed with these
are visually startling scenes, dressing in bright vivid colours the
most commonplace of things - a steam train snaking across the summer
countryside, a lighthouse at sunset - resonating perfectly with the
hyperrealism of handtinted early 20th century postcards.
Tautou turns in a faultless performance as the relentless heroine.
Her fragile calipered leg (a legacy of childhood polio) perfectly
countered by a will of steel. Ulliel is outstanding (he's just
picked up the C?sar for Most Promising Newcomer for this) as the
innocent abroad, blasted apart by the horror of war.
The two leads are simply the best amongst what is a full set of
extraordinary performances from some of France's best character
actors. Remarkably, the one who looks a lot like Jodie Foster
actually is Jodie Foster, doing - in impeccable French in an
extended cameo - her bit for the patria and her soldier husband. -
Most recent members' reviews (2)
View all -
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
A Very Long Engagement
Starts well, but quickly deteriorates into a not-very-convincing romance. The photography is striking, but adds nothing to the story or the characterization and is ultimately a distraction.
Invokes a number of other (much better) films about the Great War (notably Kubrick's Paths of Glory and Renoir's La Grande Illusion), but doesn't match up to the company.
The triumph of form over content. -
8 out of 9 people found this review helpful
didn't watch it
oritinal French version and the full war images made it too heavy for an easy evening
-
109 out of 110 people found this review helpful
Expectations
After the other films of Jeunet (Amelie, delicatessen, and the city of the lost children - Alien apart), one is entitled to expect another quirky, funny and fast paced movie...
This one is, but it is not so full of all the funny quirks Jeunet got us used to. This film is more serious - it is the adaptation of a novel whereas all the other films were purely coming from Jeunet's imagination.
But he still placed a few of these touching quirks, and the whole film is touching too. He shows the war as it is, cruel, but in a very watchable way, even for sensitive souls, and an Audrey Toutou lovely, a bit naughty, and still very determined character.
I did prefer the other films to this one, but it is still worth its 5 star, no doubt.
AND, my jaw dropped when I saw Jodie Foster, in this small, but still rewarding role: no hint of an american accent, whatsoever, as if she was another person, a real french person as that (French is my first language). I am very impressed by her performance.
In this film, you will also find all the (odd looking and excellent)actors Jeunet usually works with.
The film is captivating, with a very aesthetic washed out colour, and very well studied characters. The end is also urprising, and very poetic...
I need to say something negative?
I can't. -
34 out of 35 people found this review helpful
Jeunet brings out his magic paintbox again
To create a follow up to the much loved, adored Amelie is a pretty impossible task and this film will suffer in comparison. However on it's own merits this is a gem of a film.
Occupying a place between the real world and Jeunet's fantasy world (city of lost children, Amelie) this film looks uniquely fantastic the story whilst leading to an almost inevitable conclusion features plenty of twists and turns and some fantastic scenes.
Essentially this is a beautiful movie in its acting, style, dialogue and editing one to look forward to. -
30 out of 31 people found this review helpful
Part mystery, part war, part romance
It tells the story of a young couple, Mathilde (Audrey Tautou) and
Menoch (Gaspard Ulliel). They are childhood sweethearts who become
engaged just before Menoch is called up to fight in the trenches of
the Great War. He goes missing during the Battle of the Somme and
Mathilde devotes the next few years trying to discover what had
happened to him.
That bare-bones synopsis does no justice to one of the most
fulfilling films I have ever seen. Part mystery, part war, part
romance, it is woven together into a complete, satisfying whole.
Its two hugely-entertaining hours are rewarding because of steady
and coherent plot and character development, intercut with clever
use of metaphor and symbolism. Don't be put off by this if it sounds
high-falutin: this film isn't. It's witty and accessible, its charm
lying in its refusal to take itself too seriously. It is full of
in-jokes (which you're invited to share) and mocking self-references
(which are satisfying to spot).
The photography is outstanding. It oozes atmosphere and period. The
camera moves lovingly from cream and umber domestic sets, to steel
blues and iron greys for the battle scenes. Interspersed with these
are visually startling scenes, dressing in bright vivid colours the
most commonplace of things - a steam train snaking across the summer
countryside, a lighthouse at sunset - resonating perfectly with the
hyperrealism of handtinted early 20th century postcards.
Tautou turns in a faultless performance as the relentless heroine.
Her fragile calipered leg (a legacy of childhood polio) perfectly
countered by a will of steel. Ulliel is outstanding (he's just
picked up the C?sar for Most Promising Newcomer for this) as the
innocent abroad, blasted apart by the horror of war.
The two leads are simply the best amongst what is a full set of
extraordinary performances from some of France's best character
actors. Remarkably, the one who looks a lot like Jodie Foster
actually is Jodie Foster, doing - in impeccable French in an
extended cameo - her bit for the patria and her soldier husband. -
29 out of 47 people found this review helpful
dont bother
what an absolute waste of a choice of film. If I had wanted a film in French I would have chosen one. This should state it is French. Garbage, not even worth 1 star!!!!!!
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13 out of 14 people found this review helpful
Magnifique
'A Very Long Engagement' is visually stunning without being too in your face. Scenes are there for a reason and the amazing effects are non-intrusive. The piste de resistance of this piece though has to be a wonderful, wonderful plot. This is what cinema is all about. Audience involvement.
It is a wonderfully told love story and a wonderfully clever detective story rolled into one beautiful french pastry.
Rarely, do I ever watch a film again. This is a rarity. It's a film you just have to watch again to see what you missed the first time round. Even if your french is non-existent (as is mine) the subtitles are excellent.
Please, whatever you do, rent this film. It is a gem that deserves to be in the top 10 list of all time films. A film as good as 'Fight Club' or 'Forest Gump'.
It deserves to be a cult film! -
14 out of 20 people found this review helpful
Not inEnglish
COULD NOT FIND THE ENGLISH SPEAKING VERSION AND DO NOT WANT FILM RESENT
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9 out of 9 people found this review helpful
beautiful
magic, romantic, realistic, captivating
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9 out of 9 people found this review helpful
Classic french love story
Having both read and loved the book, we were looking forward to this film and we were not disappointed - it's a beautiful and evocative film.
Set in France in the aftermath of the 1st World War it chronicles a young girl's attempts to find out what happened to her fiance and is superbly shot with very realistic trench warfare scenes and wonderful views of the French countryside. -
8 out of 9 people found this review helpful
beautiful film
A Beautiful and touching film about a woman determined not to give up hope to see her true love again after hearing time and time again he'd been killed in war and would never return she doesn't give up searching for him..i thought it was a very tender film, wonderfully acted and a lovely feel and 'look' to the film. A definite must see!
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8 out of 9 people found this review helpful
didn't watch it
oritinal French version and the full war images made it too heavy for an easy evening
Critics' reviews (6)
-
Although based on the late Sébastien Japrisot's 1991 novel, Jean-Pierre Jeunet's lyrical treat for the eye and heart plays a little like “Amélie Goes to the Front”. Grittier in tone than that romantic fable — A Very Long Engagement contains unflinching scenes of battlefield carnage — and with flashes of the dark humour of Jeunet's Delicatessen, this epic romantic mystery still has whimsical charm to spare. The gorgeously gamine Audrey Tautou stars as Mathilde, the fiancée of a First World War soldier abandoned to face an ignominious death in no-man's land as punishment for a self-inflicted wound. Mathilde, trusting her intuition, refuses to believe he has been killed and begins an investigation into her lover's fate. This sweeping saga is fabulous looking and beautifully performed — two-time Oscar winner Jodie Foster has an uncredited but pivotal role — and, though overlong, remains an engaging, utterly involving portrait of unswerving devotion.
-
Grand, gently moving movie on an epic scale, encompassing not only the horrors of war but also the effect it had on life after: the lush landscapes, through which our heroine travels, recover, but the people don't.
-
Audrey Tautou is at her captivating best
-
An arresting achievement. Spectacular
-
Great artistry on a grand scale
-
A belter of a movie
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This World War I mystery finds limitless beauty in the nostalgia of loss. Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, whose whimsical AMELIE riveted audiences, A VERY LONG ENGAGEMENT also stars Audrey Tautou--... -
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