A Very Long Engagement
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Movie Reviews of A Very Long Engagement
Movie Review: Outstanding Tale Of Hope And Love Amidst War And Tragedy
Summary: 5 Stars
"A Very Long Engagement" is a powerful epic of love and hope set against the backdrop of brutal all-out war and its bitter aftermath. Audrey Tatou (of "Amelie" fame) plays Mathilde, a physically handicapped young woman in France during the World War I era. When the war is over and her lover fails to return home, and is reported dead, Ame... er, Mathilde (I'll always think of Audrey as Amelie) refuses to believe it and sets out on a determined quest to learn of the whereabouts of the man she believes in her heart Must still be alive. In the quest, she uncovers the stories of a number of other soldiers during the war, and comes in contact with another 'searcher', who's tracking down the whereabouts of high-ranking military officers, for a very different reason. With plentiful flashbacks to the bloody trench warfare, and flashbacks further back showing the evolution of the relationship between Mathilde and her beau Manech, beginning with their initial meeting as children. Full of love, tragedy, compassion, brutality, and humor, and enhanced by a great cast and vivid cinematography, "A Very Long Engagement" is a masterpiece synthesis of the war movie and the romance movie.Movie Review: Absolutely Extraordinary
Summary: 5 Stars
Very briefly, this woman's search not for her lover so much but for the truth of what happened on the afternoon he disappeared, was one of the most moving experiences I've had in a theater in many years. It's an incredible film, for its content, its director, its script, its leading actress (and, for that matter, all of the other actors in actresses as well: they're uniformly excellent), as well as it's general design. But above all of that, it's a movie that can't be described but has to be seen because it's about everything. It's a war movie, a love movie, a crime movie, a naturalistic movie, a surreal movie, a movie partaking of gross sentimentality and hideous realism--and be forewarned: some of the scenes in it made even me wince and flinch--a movie about human evil and human kindness both...much more the latter than the former. Notwithstanding all of that, it has to be seen or else you will be slightly the less for not having seen it. Mathilde's Quest is that overwhelming. And she's just so loveable, watching her search for the truth, raising the dead from the grave.Movie Review: Epic, Intimate and Gorgeous!
Summary: 5 Stars
From the novel by Sebastian Japrisot comes a beautifully photographed adult fairy tale of love during World War I. The Director of "Amelia" (Jean-Pierre Jeunet) and star of (Audrey Tautou) join together again for this celebration of cinematography. Mathilde (Tautou) is engaged to a handsome man who goes off to war and never returns. She spends her time tracking down his war buddies and listens as they recount their tales of when they knew her fiancé and when they last saw him. The shots are amazing and the music is hauntingly beautiful. Through her search, Mathilde discovers interesting things about her own self and about all the amazing people she meets in her quest to discover the truth of her fiancé's fate. It is a close second to "Amelie" in its portrayal of life, imagery and magic.
Note: Jodie Foster makes an important and discreet appearance in this film. Its remarkable.
Movie Review: A film for thinkers. Highly Thoughtful.
Summary: 5 Stars
This movie is mainly about France in the World War One. It concerns the heartfelt lingering pain of the French families being torn asunder and split apart during thr war years. The main character Audrey Tatou plays in my opinion she represents the innocence of pre-war France and the lover she searches for is representative of going back to pre-war idealism and happy moments. Yet we can never go back can we? This movie is very unlike the film Amelie. This movie is dark and contemplative which makes it's happy moments stand out more sort of like life itself. This is a film for educated people. The average moe wouldn't understand it. The average moe doesn't see movies in French with english subtitles anyway. Thank heavens you the reader are more literate than the average moe. If you're a thinker you will simply LOVE the intelligence in this movie. Beautiful scenery in the happy moments of the childhood scenes.Movie Review: A movie for the passionate heart
Summary: 5 Stars
One writer stated that this is a movie for thinkers. To some degree, I disagree. I say it is a movie for the passionate. Granted, the average American viewer who wants all flash and pizzazz and a movie that isn't intellectually or emotionally challenging won't find this movie especially noteworthy.
It's unfortunate that some of the beans have already been spilled, because much of the ultimate glory and pleasure in this film is in NOT knowing some things (oh, like the ENDING, perhaps!!). I saw many similarities with Amelie in the way this movie was 'told'. And you'll recognize some of the same faces as well.
The story of one woman's determination, against all odds, to find and hopefully reunite with her one true love is vivdly and evocatively portrayed in this movie. Unless you are shallow or just not into movies with passion, this one will stay with you for some time.