Review of A Very Long Engagement (2004) by Jens S — 16 Nov 2008
It starts with the ugliness of war, in the trenches of the first world war. The creators of "Amelie" tell the story of Mathilde, whose fiancee got lost in the chaos of war and her relentless search for informations about his fate.
That requires some concentration from the side of the audience, which has to deal with a lot of names and faces, but is still very well done. The beautifully shot French film combines the realistic horrors of a war movie with a detective story and love drama and still manages to be very convincing in each of these aspects as we gradually learn about the real story of the five court-martialed soldiers kicked into no man's land between French and German trenches.
The biggest surprise, besides how well this combination works, is Jodie Foster's small role as soldier widow. Just like in "Amelie" Audrey Tautou is a little odd but quite charming in her efforts to solve the mystery, not giving up hope for her love still being alive.
Not much more should be spoiled about this film. which is easily one of the best that ever came from its country of origin.
This review of A Very Long Engagement (2004) was written by Jens S on 16 Nov 2008.
A Very Long Engagement has generally received very positive reviews.
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