A Very Long Engagement

Considering the fact that this film shares its director, star, and the bulk of its supporting cast with Amelie, comparisons between the two films are inevitable. In terms of subject matter, this movie is about as different as it can get, but Jeunet retains the same storytelling style and similar instances of "cutesy" humour. For the third of the movie, this doesn't play out that well, since it's hard to reconcile images of soldiers having various body parts blasted off and Audrey Tautou being her usual adorable self. However, once the quest plot heated up, I didn't even notice this anymore. Tautou is amazing - she displays the same quirkiness she showed as Amelie, but you'd never once call Mathilde and Amelie similar characters. The supporting cast is also very good , but the real star here is the cinematography. It's simply a gorgeous film to watch. Recommended. My grade: B+

Synopsis: The story of a a young woman's relentless search for her fiancée, who has disappeared from the trenches of the Somme during World War One. (via Imdb)

Avg. Critic's Score: 7.5 (via Rotten Tomatoes)
Avg. Viewer's Score: 7.9 (via Imdb)

Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet (Amelie)
Writers: Guillaume Laurant (Amelie) and Jean-Pierre Jeunet (Amelie), based on the novel by Sebastien Japrisot
Stars: Audrey Tautou (Amelie), Gaspard Ulliel, Dominique Pinon (Alien: Resurrection), Chantal Neuwirth (Madeline), Andre Dussollier (Vidocq), Ticky Holgado (Delicatessen), Marion Cotillard (Big Fish), Dominique Bettenfeld (Dobermann), Jodie Foster (The Silence of the Lambs), Jean-Pierre Darroussin, Jermoe Kircher, Albert Dupontel (Irreversible), Clovis Cornillac

Useless Trivia: Gaspard Ulliel, who plays the long-lost lover, is set to star as Hannibal Lecter in a prequel about the young Hannibal. Jodie Foster, who briefly appears in this film, played Clarice Starling in the second Hannibal movie, The Silence of the Lambs.