Director Jean-Pierre Jeunet in the hit, "Amelie," employed scintillating Audrey Tatou, the most expressive young French actress in film today, to portray a whimsical and charming girl-woman in search of love. With her now as a young French rural ingénue searching for years after The Great War (aka World War I or, even better, The War to End All Wars) for a probably killed fiancé, Jeunet crafted a moving, often penetrating story centering on the charnel carnage of trench warfare.

Lame as a single-digit-age child because of polio and living with relatives who took over after her parents were killed in an accident, Mathilde is befriended by Manech (Gasparad Ulliel). Mathilde, a loner separated from her peers by her disability, and Manech become closest friends. Late adolescence brings love and lust, commitment and an engagement.

But in 1917 the French Army needed fresh meat for the bloody maw that was warfare on the almost terminally static Western Front. And off went Manech along with many others who never returned.

Employing the harshest discipline of any Western army in modern history, the French Army (which gave the world the Dreyfus trial and in World War I actually used decimation to punish mutinous regiments and divisions) sentences Manech and four others to be cast into No Man's Land without weapons, without any possibility of being allowed to return but with the macabre requirement that they respond to morning roll call if alive (not a good bet). Their alleged crime was self-mutilation to get out of combat (what we call in the American military, "SIW," Self-Inflicted Wounds).

Mathilde in 1920, steely faithful in a moving and believable way, searches fervently for her fiancé whom she believes "must" be alive somewhere, somehow. Employing artful stratagems and enlisting the willing, the paid and the dragooned, her search takes her to cities and battlefields. With resort to a child's employment of magical thinking she frequently whispers tests about what will happen in immediate, ordinary circumstances with one result "proving" for her that Manech is still alive. Tatou makes this self-deception appealing and infinitely sad.

As Spielberg did in "Saving Private Ryan," Jeunet brings the immediacy of the meat-grinding battlefield to the viewer over and over again through superb if sometimes difficult to watch cinematography. Of course no film truly captures the desperation, the epidemic fatality that gripped and demoralized the French Army after years of immobile, set-piece fighting. One needs to read Robert Graves or Siegfried Sassoon for that. But Jeunet has brought to the screen the most realistic World War I trench scenes since "All Quiet on the Western Front" (the 1930 original, of course).

Tatou is an acting tsunami here, alternately beguiling and tense and always hopeful while fighting despair. Expect to see her in many fine roles in the future. She's marvelous.

The entire cast is excellent-few are known in the U.S.

A remarkable movie with an ending that will satisfy and disturb at the same time.

Tatou and Jeunet deserve Oscar nominations.

10/10

This is one of those times that a rating system breaks down. I gave this film a "10" only because there were no "20's" available.

This film, in its own way, seems to be able to fire on those same diverse cylinders that William Shakespeare so often did. It's a light and airy comedy. It's the bitterest of tragedies. It's a beautiful romance. It's an unfolding mystery. At it's heart it is a film of war. War, in all its boiling chaos, touches on all those experiences and more.

When I left the theater I was both elated and depressed. My elation came from having just had such a pure cinematic experience. My depression came from glancing at the marquee and reminding myself that I'll have to survive on the sort of cinema half-life provided by the pablum that normally makes it to the screen. Every now and again it's great to be reminded just how good a movie can be.

This movie is better than "Amelie" (which I loved). The story is intricately plotted so people with a "Seed of Chucky" attention span will be overwhelmed. It must be the only movie to combine amazing combat scenes with romance, comedy and a complex mystery puzzle. Audrey Tatou is a goddess. Jeunet (the director) is like a combination of Chaplin (the romance and comedy); Hitchcock (the incredible camera work and storytelling); and Spielberg (the battle scenes and emotion).

As to some of the comments I have seen on this site:

There were French people complaining that people were speaking too fast. Gee, I don't speak French, but I can read subtitles just fine, so it was not a problem.

Some people complained that it was too long. Then there were people that complained it was too short. Like Goldilocks, I thought it was just right.

There were those that said that Tatou can't act. Audrey's performance was nuanced people, she's no Jim Carrey. Some said she was just playing Amelie again. Wrong. Amelie was a good-hearted but wishy-washy spirit who was afraid to take any action in her own life. Mathilde is just the opposite, somebody who believes so strongly in her convictions that she is able to follow what her heart tells her in spite of all available evidence and every single person she meets. In fact, every actor, no matter how small the role, turns in a great performance (I'm especially partial to the great Dominique Pinon, who plays Audrey's uncle).

There were complaints about the sex. There are a couple of brief shots of people having sex in the introduction, very similar to Amelie. Plus you get to see Jodie Foster doing the nasty from several directions. If that bothers you, go see Polar Express instead. Personally (especially in light of the rumors of Jodie being a lesbian) I am in favor of the sex scenes. There is also a shot of Audrey's fabulous naked booty, which justifies the price of admission all by itself.

Someone else complained that it was too jarring switching between the horrific WWI trench warfare scenes and the idyllic 1920s Paris. Argghhhh, that's the point!

Then there was the complaint about seeing a scene or shot from a different perspective later in the movie. Have you heard of a story called "Rashomon"? The idea is that you are experiencing the events from the viewpoint of different characters. This is cleverly done and never superfluous. At least one time you are quite startled by new information revealed by that shift in perspective.

All in all, this is a movie that really does have everything. If it were an American movie it would win best picture, best actress, best supporting actress (Jodie still might get nominated), best cinematography, best script from a novel, and best director. As it is scheduled for a Christmas national release, hopefully a lot of people will see it.

I had the pleasure of seeing this movie on a special preview last night and I was enthralled at its story line and cinematic experience. I wasn't a great fan of Amelie and hence was not expecting any particular out-of-body experience in viewing this. But I was wrong. It is a wonderful piece of story telling – somewhat difficult to follow if you do have a short memory span for character names – and flashbacks. Yet at the end, it seamlessly closes the web in a beautifully written script that has been well acted and filmed. It is particularly gory in the WWI battle scenes but probably accurate in depiction whilst the locations where the film was shot seem out of this world (hoped they were not computer generated). Quaint towns, fields, beaches and houses lend a beautiful touch to the story of a love that will not die whilst Audrey Tautou delivers a spellbinding performance in a child-like heroine with a will of steel. A special mention must be given to Bruno Delbonnel's camera work which simply is amazing. Can't wait for the DVD.

It is almost insulting to compare this film to Amelie Poulain. Yes it's the same crew, yes it's the same director and yes, Audrey Tautou almost plays the same character. But give JP Jeunet a break, it's part of HIS style. Would you blame Beethoven because his symphonies kinda sounded the same?

It is at times gritty, with its very tough depictions of the Great War, and at times light and naive. It all follows a very complicated storyline which is, I would have to admit, the only weakness in this otherwise perfect movie. With so many characters and so many plot elements, some people may feel a bit lost, specially toward the end. But this is of lesser concern as the audience will still follow the main idea : a quest to find a loved one. So even through all the intricacies of the subplots, the arc story (and its finale) always remain on the horizon.

To put it short, the movie is a masterpiece. The acting is strong, the scenes are breathtaking and overall, so much attention has been put to details that it feels like a labor of love more than a big production movie. I truly think that if French cinema was not so locked into producing crappy talkative movies about losers and failures, it could come up with a lot more movies as poignant as Engagement is.

Dazzling, never before have I seen such a visually pleasing picture. Jeunet has mastered the film medium giving 'A Very Long Engagement' a unique and fairy tale like visual style. Though rushed, the fantasy romance that Jeunet paints through flashbacks is inspiring. The graphic World War I trenches, provide an excellent contrast to the simple but charming mystery that Mathilde embarks on through the film.

Although Jeunet relies heavily on Audrey Tautou's performance, it is ultimately his one of a kind visual style that emotionally ties the viewer. This said, the latter portion of 'Long Engagement' feels very rushed and isn't treated to the same elegance that so well defines the first half. There are moments in the film where the visuals far overshadow the emotional intensity intended for the scene. This is perhaps 'Long Engagements' only fault, as it becomes unbalanced. The stylized and even cartoonish artistic direction that Jeunet leans to, although brilliant seems I'll fit for this wartime drama. Even so, 'A Very Long Engagement' comes off genuine and it's mix of fantasy romance and war will let you leave the theater fulfilled.

A powerful and emotional war drama from French auteur Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Audrey Tautou leads us through an engaging and well-crafted story which sweeps us into the world of its characters, whom are established and well developed as the story progresses. The film itself is visually arresting with stunning cinematography. It was actually Bruno Delbonnel's visuals that acted as one of the man aspects that allured my interest in the film, it's a visual powerhouse blending the gritty conventions of war with scenes of a more romantic and dramatic style. A harrowing and emotional account of World War I from the perspective of French soldiers and civilians.

Lovely Audrey Tautou and director Jean-Pierre Jeunet reteam (having previously made the delightful comedy Amelie) in the epic war drama, A Very Long Engagement, based on the novel by Sebastien Japrisot. It is a visual powerhouse of a film that defies conventional genres by melding together different themes and injecting a generous dose of period authenticity. This French language film is an emotional odyssey that keeps you guessing while it never loses sight of its humanity and even humor.

Childhood friends and then lovers, Mathilde (Tatout) and Manech (Gaspard Ulliel) are separated when duty calls in World War One France. War is hell and the trench fighting that will claim countless lives begins to take its toll on men's sanity and tolerance. Manech becomes one of five soldiers arrested for cowardice because each has a self inflicted hand wound to evade the deadly fighting. But instead of execution by firing squad, the condemned men are forced into no man's land to be fodder for the German line.

It is almost certain that all the prisoners died that day, but years later, in 1920, Mathilde continues in her quest to find the truth and her lover. Aided by her aunt and uncle, she enlists the help of an investigative agency and lawyer to track down the people who knew Manech. Slowly the list grows and one clue connects with another as more witnesses emerge. What starts out as a somber war romance develops into a fascinating adventure of love and mystery of fate as Mathilde follows the trail. Sure, she does get frustrated as a couple of clues are dead ends, but when a connection is established, the story leaps forward. At times the help comes from an unexpected source and at other times, sheer coincidence saves the day. There is even a subplot involving treachery and betrayal. Before long, the audience will become caught up in her journey. Is Manech alive and will Mathilde ever find him? The film's structure weaves back and forth through flashbacks with great ease and clarity. An occasional voice over narration ties up the loose ends. As the plot begins to make more sense, key scenes are retold from different viewpoints in the Rashomon style of storytelling. The battle scenes, quite grim and realistic (Saving Private Ryan type of action), are light years ahead of Paths of Glory's anthill scenes, although the opening march through the trenches is almost identical to Kubrick's 1957 classic. There is even a hint of the older favorite, Random Harvest, which also dealt with a wartime romance and search.

A Very Long Engagement is blessed with a strong ensemble cast although it may require a score card to keep track of all the names. Andrey Tautou is quite good as the anxious searcher. Her beauty never detracts from her acting talent. Gaspard Ulliel reminds one of a young Ethan Hawke in his innocence amid difficult circumstances. As the wife of a key character, Jodie Foster is effective as she corresponds with Mathilde. Yes, Jodie does the French thing well, but her appearance is a bit jarring. Dominique Pinon, a favorite of Jeunet's (Alien: Resurrection, Amelie), lends good support as the uncle. Even the smaller roles are well rounded and memorable, a testament to good casting, strong writing, and Jeunet's direction.

This big budget film is lengthy, but it does have the sweep of a big time novel. The production is outstanding in the authentic costumes and historic set designs of 1920. Jeunet employs cinematography and computer graphics effectively to recreate the era magnificently. He has always been a marvelous director of eye candy, and the film is wonderful to look at. Angelo Badalamenti who has spent a lot of time scoring the moody thrillers for David Lynch is allowed to flourish here with a lushly romantic, emotional soundtrack.

Doubtless this is very likely the ultimate French tearjerker, a kind of Gone with the Wind meets Cold Mountain type of film. It serves as a commentary on war, a romantic fable, a revenge tale, and an intricate mystery. It is a film that defies pigeonholing and that's part of the fun. It also has well defined characters and nice touches of detail and exposition. In short, it is one powerful movie to close out 2004.

***1/2 stars out of ****

An epic love story on a World War I background. Far from Amelie, the team Jeunet/Tautou demonstrates his talent, showing with poetry love and war, beauty and horror, sweetness and violence. Mathilde and Manech, played by the stunning Audrey Tautou and the new French heart-throb Gaspard Ulliel, are the ideal lovers, determinate, passionate, separated by destiny, hoping...because hope is the message, the only one of a film where love is giving and giving again. If you loved Cold Mountain you will adore "A very long engagement". If don't know yet what it is to hold someone's heart in your hand, to feel the beatings of somebody's heart like the Morse alphabet, this movie will explain it to you, and you never will be the same anymore.

The best film I've seen in at least two years. I WAS TOTALLY PREPARED TO NOT LIKE THIS FILM. The title made me fear that my favorite director had created a chick flick. This movie is amazing, the story is set up quickly and suddenly your running along with this amazing tale that sucks you in and fills you with hope, reminds you that no matter what others may think it is up to you to never give up. I can't wait till it's in theaters so I can see it again, and I can't wait till it's on DVD so I can own it. Maybe supremely jaded people might not like this film, they'll hide behind expensive words to mask the fact that, in life, they gave up. And this move is a reminder that they didn't have to. You need to see this movie, your family and friends do too, heck bring the dog. I'm so glad it's not a chick flick, and I'm so glad that Jean-Pierre Jeunet's craft continues to escalate with each film he does. MM.

If I were to judge this movie solely on its entertainment value, I would have awarded it a 9 out of 10. Instead, I will blend entertainment with art, whatever that may mean, or with its artistic integrity – my usual method of evaluation for movies. I'm actually one of those people who found Amèlie delightful on first viewing, and more than a little irritating on second viewing two years later. And I must say that overall, I preferred Un Long Dimanche de Fiançailles.

Right from the opening shot of a broken Christ statue dangling off a cross that's been blown to bits in a muddy WWI trench, you are reminded of how well director Jean-Pierre Jeunet has understood the importance of masterful cinematography. Immediate, attention-grabbing snappy editing is also a speciality of his. A collection of memorable stills, beautiful enough to be made into pictures to hang on your living-room wall, are the carriers of a compelling story with a universally accessible poetry, both visual and verbal (which alas, is too often spelt out by a persistently meddling voice-over – a narrator, just like in Amèlie – just in case you weren't paying attention to ALL the little quirks, jokes and poetry). A feast of visual humour we can trace right back to Delicatessen and a collection of interwoven, snappy little stories from endearing or comic minor players, could render the movie Disneyish (The way Les Choristes was) had Jeunet failed to also blend into the cake mix two helpings of darkness to one of sex: he does exactly the same thing in both Amèlie and Delicatessen. The resulting movie is one that most adults the world over will respond to, a fairytale for grown-ups (also considering the devastating WWI setting, it's even more grown-up than both Delicatessen, which IMO was too cartoonish, and Amèlie, too artificial and pleased with itself - like a small, furry creature such as a squirrel prancing around and being well aware of its own cuteness). But as good movie as Dimanche is, I don't consider it an "art" movie at all – rather, a very accomplished and entertaining mainstream European movie.

Most of all, I loved the scenes in the trenches. This movie is an excellent example of how computer generated sequences SHOULD be used to enhance a feature! The CGI does its job without calling attention upon itself. The muddy, dusty, blood and gut-stained, grey-brown desperation and folly of the WWI battlefields felt authentic and never idealised, yet was visually stunning and also very entertaining to watch. The zeppelin in the improvised hospital scene was also amazing – a tense, original and, as they say, memorable "cinema moment". I was also fond of some comic interludes: Mathilde imagining herself as the romantic heroine in her own erotic dream filmed as a silent movie, the postman and his pesky bicycle, Private Investigator Germain Pire (played by the late Ticky Holgado) and his antics, for instance in the Corsican brothel, etc. I also thought the flavour and FEEL of the epoch was beautifully evoked: I'm a sucker for thorough research in costuming and setting, so I cannot help responding positively when that aspect of a historic movie is accomplished.

But I was reminded of Amèlie's contrived little quirks one time too many when the German woman in the Paris bistrot (trying to discreetly attract Mathilde's attention to give her some clues), erases the writing on the "Today's specialities" blackboard by leaving just three M's. Or when we were told and shown the way Mathilde's parents had died when she was only a very small child. This was a quirky, comedy death just like Amèlie's mother being killing by a suicidal nun jumping off the top of a church spire. Also, the vengeful prostitute Tina Lombardi's deadly contraptions, used to murder the Army officials responsible for killing her beloved pimp on the battlefield, were also a tad too cutesy and contrived, and made me try to imagine a James Bond movie directed by Jeunet! Though this may be the fault of the novel that Un Long Dimanche is based upon, I also found the "mystery" part a little too convoluted and again, contrived. The pieces of the jig-saw fall into place a little too neatly for a situation as complicated as the search for Manech turned out to be! Regarding the central couple, Mathilde and Manech, whose young love for one another we are supposed to believe in and warm to in order to find the story moving at all, I thought Jeunet did a good job of remaining just this side of cloying and sentimental. Again, some of the poetic images were heavy-handed (did we really need to hear the "heart beating in the hand" line so often?), but on the whole, efficient and sweet. Though Manech was a little too much of a wet blanket for my taste (perhaps the role needed a slightly more charismatic actor than Gaspard Ulliel?), I did nonetheless feel concern for him throughout most of the movie. I was also impressed with the Jodie Foster subplot and was more than a little impressed with her linguistic skills: among English-speaking actors, so far I only knew of Kristin Scott Thomas being such a convincing performer in the French language.

Since Un Long Dimanche is a little too much of a ruffian to be a truly honest work of art, I will therefore knock a few points off the 9 I would have given it just for sheer entertainment value, and leave it with a more than dignified 7.5 out of 10 instead!

Un long dimanche de fiançailles mixes romance and mystery amid the brutal realities of World War I, and though it's a solid film, it never reaches the greatness it strives for so earnestly. Unlike most of Jeunet's other films, it takes itself too seriously, lacking much of the director's wonderful humor and imagination. For some reason, Jeunet also comes too close in theme and setting to two much better works on World War I by Bertrand Tavernier: La Vie et rien d'autre (Life and Nothing But), in which a woman searches for her missing husband in the aftermath of the war, and Capitaine Conan, about a group of French soldiers at the time of the Armistice and beyond. In fact, the opening sequences of Un long dimanche de fiançailles that take place in the hellish fox holes on the front line look like they have been lifted from leftover footage from Capitaine Conan. I'm not sure why Jeunet would do this. Unfortunately for him, Capitaine Conan is one of the greatest films about war ever made and La Vie et rien d'autre has an emotional power and complexity that only serve to make one aware of how little of the same Jeunet is able to achieve in his own work.

Audrey Tautou is charming, of course, and one enjoys watching her on the screen, but she has to carry this heavy film on her back, without much complexity in her character to explore or another strong actor to work against. One also wonders if she will get stuck playing "Amelie" the rest of her career. She's a wonderful actress, but I find myself wanting to see her in a dark action film along the lines of Nikita. Something besides the same role over and over.

One of the few times Tautou gets a break in the film is when we meet Jodie Foster's character and spend some time with her story. This is one of the best parts of the film, and if the rest of the movie had had the same emotional urgency and passion as this sequence, it would have been a much stronger work.

Jeunet could also have spent more time on Manech and the other four soldiers around him. Their stories are interesting but it's hard to follow who is who at times, and we never develop a strong emotional connection with them. More time with them and less with Tautou's Mathilde might have helped the film move a little better. One of Jeunet's strengths in Delicatessen and Amelie was creating a terrific and dynamic rhythm. This movie drags much more than it has to, getting slower (and a bit disjointed) towards the end. The role of the detective, Germain Pire, provides a bit of comic relief and an element of mystery, but Jeunet pretty much abandons the character after a couple of scenes. The mystery aspect of the film is handled poorly in general, Jeunet turning something that could have been a real advantage into a dawdling storyline that holds little or no suspense.

Visually, Jeunet does a great job again, though there aren't as many striking moments as in his earlier works. The most resonant image in the film involves a soldier carving the initials of his beloved into a battle-blasted tree trunk in the middle of a grey, apocalyptic wasteland between the French and German fronts. And while the battle scenes are sometimes powerful, there is the sense that we have seen this all before.

Un long dimanche de fiançailles was an interesting choice for Jeunet's first movie after Amelie. From a commercial perspective, it seems like a risky choice, especially given the participation of Warner Brothers in putting up money for the film. This is definitely not a ready-made hit - the movie is too long and slow for that. Many fans of Amelie will probably walk away disappointed. I respect his willingness to take such chances, but I wish he had chosen a project that wasn't so melodramatic and pretentious in the end.

And one whose plot and war theme hadn't already been done better by another director. A decent but but not great film.

A gorgeous film about love, search, hope and fight. Colors from "Amelie", touching Gaspard Ulliel, delicate performing of Audrey Tautou, impressive presence of Jodie Foster. And flavor of a lost world, so persistent, so heavy, so ambiguous.

A splendid French adaptation of a novel but, more important, a subtle exploration of miracle's rules. At first sight, it is a story about believe. At the second- hope in the skin of nostalgic images. But in fact, it is end of innocence. Manech is not the boy-friend, the good guy from an old lighthouse, he is the sense of Mathilde's existence. The poor signs to know if he is alive, the contact with lives of others, the postman like angel of new part in interior universe, the joy and the final silence are elements of a intangible miracle.

That is the motif to discover this film like second part of "Amelie Poulain". Same director or same actress are irrelevant details for explain the feeling because the message is more important than any definition. The principal character are not the war/ search/love/ sacrifice/hope. The fundamental problem is the sense of life, yesterday or tomorrow, the gestures of world's discover, the taste of miracle and the touch of his shadow.

Somewhere I've seen this described as halfway between Amelie and Delicatessen. I don't think the description fits.

The movie has a very basic plot. It's about a young woman whose lover has supposedly been executed for self-mutilation in the First World War. She goes on a quest to find him, trusting her intuition that he is still alive.

After the dazzling spirit of Amelie, this film had two choices. It could try to imitate the formula for success (and most likely end up as disappointment), or it could be something radically different. Instead, the film seems in an uncomfortable state of trying to do both simultaneously. Styilistically, it's close to Amelie (we get to see lots of small, short, sweet background stories for the characters), and the cinematography is beautiful. However, this is fundamentally a tragicomic post-war drama, and so the style feels oddly out of place. (Although the general theme of the film is "hope", and thus positive).11111 Yes, there are lovable characters (the post man stealing the show). Yes, the cast features many of the same faces we've seen in Amelie (although in radically different roles). But this story should never have tried triggering such deja-vus.

On the other hand, there are some aspects where the film has strayed even further from what it should have been. Sex scenes can be fine and have a point, I suppose, but I could not help feeling that this film featured a few erotic moments that were not altogether necessary. Does masturbation (female or otherwise) really belong in a fairly serious story about hope? Did we really have to see a certain agreement (between a carpenter's wife and his friend) being consumed? Was the naked massage serving any other purpose than showing us Audrey Tautou's (admittedly attractive) behind? All these scenes felt redundant, especially in the same movie that features such a loving portrayal of sex in the heartbeat-in-his-hand idea.

On the whole, I found the movie quite disappointing. Beautifully shot, beautifully written in parts, but ultimately it did not work. The sweetness felt out of place in the fairly serious story.

It is with some slight trepidation that I submit a negative verdict on 'Un long dimanche de fiancailles'. So many members of the IMDb evidently adore it. Precisely for this reason, though, I am disposed to air a contrary opinion, if only to reassure anyone else who may see the film, dislike it, and visit this website, that he or she is not alone.

'Un long dimanche de fiancailles' has an intricate and potentially affecting storyline about the unswerving devotion of a young Frenchwoman (Mathilde) to her fiancé (Manech), believed killed in the First World War. It also has a very inventive, painstaking, and distinctive director. Unfortunately, subject-matter and directorial style are badly mismatched. To give credit where it is due, the battle sequences are powerful and shocking (and it is no bad thing for those of us who have never encountered war to be reminded just how fortunate we are). The film as a whole, however, sinks under a gratuitous load of quaint gimmicks, irrelevant whimsies, and distractingly unreal beauty. Mathilde appears to pass her entire life in warm, soft, golden sunlight of a kind that the rest of us only ever see during particularly spectacular sunsets. Every back-drop resembles a painting or, at least, a very superior picture postcard.Every scene is pepped-up by the introduction of some superfluous remarkable feature, be it a tuba, an artificial hand, or a lighthouse. And the less said the better about the lurid sub-plot concerning Tina Lombardi. Desperate attention-seeking is the hallmark of this film.

Now, highly-coloured hyperactive artificiality can work very well in comedy - it did in 'Amelie' indeed - but this story of war, suffering, and love called for restraint and the art that conceals art. To swamp it with pretty pictures and quirky detail is tasteless and ineffective. 'Un long dimanche de fiancailles' might be likened to a lily that has been not merely gilded but set with rhinestones, fixed to a turntable, and illuminated by flashing neon. I found it quite impossible to suspend disbelief and accept Mathilde and Manech as real people in genuine situations. I was continually reminded that I was watching the elaborate efforts of an ingenious film-maker striving - oh, so very hard! - to provide non-stop diversion and show off his own cleverness. The film failed to engage my emotions; its relentless flashiness bored me.

What a flick! This movie deserves a much wider audience. And if you're an American who's "allergic" to reading sub-titles, get over it. You owe it to yourself to watch this movie. The story sweeps you along and features an engaging cast, unbelievably fine production values, and cinematography that's like fine French paintings come to life.

"A Long Engagement" is by the same director as "Amelie," Jean-Pierre Jeunet. It also features the same Audrey Tautou in the lead role. But whereas "Amelie" played like an amusing soufflé, "A Long Engagement" is darker and earthier, like truffles dug out of French soil.

Tautou plays a crippled girl who won't give up searching for her fiancée, reportedly killed by his own troops for self-mutilation during World War I. The scenes in the trenches of the Somme are some of the most horrific war scenes ever. The setting of the First World War was what drew me to the movie. The "Great War" has been overshadowed, in history and certainly in cinema, by the Second World War. But as director Jeunet shows so powerfully in "A Long Engagement," it was a war with unique terrors and a story we have yet to understand.

So watch the movie. Then take the time to also watch the "making of" extras on the DVD. It shows the love French people have for the art of movie making--a love which shows on every frame of "A Long Engagement."

When I say that contrary to the film I can be short about going where I want to, it is obviously sarcastic. Sadly, it is also true. Un long dimanche de fiançailles just has too many flaws. First of all, the film itself and some scenes especially are unnecessarily long. It seemed to me at times as if Jeunet has never heard of the concept of editing to make a film move faster. A technique that would have come in very handy in keeping the Miss Marple like characteristics of the film seem exciting and thrilling in the long run. This immediately brings me to my second point. The whole film just seems to slip from genre to genre, but not as though as incorporating many genres into one whole. Rather the film seems to take bits and pieces from every genre and in the end falls short in generating a whole. I for one cannot say whether this is drama, war, comedy, fantasy, or romance and honestly I feel as if I've seen bits and pieces of everything, with nothing being followed through until the ending.

Another thing that bugged me about this film, was that it was way too complex. While this also made the film longer than it needed to be, it was the interaction of the complex story , the slow pace and the lengthy shots that made the film boring at times. You just didn't care after an hour and a half or so. You just wanted Jeunet and his colleagues to get on with it and end the whole thing.

When I give all this criticism, it almost sounds as if everything about this film is wrong. That is absolutely not true. The things I just criticized, stood in the way of this film being great and made it average. There were however some great moments too. Take for instance the 'match lighting scene'. I thought it was very sweet and funny and truly an example of beautiful film-making. Moments like those didn't last long enough though and got lost in the intricate web that makes up this truly long engagement.

6 out of 10

One of the hardest things in the world is to stop when you know you should, but the attraction, the romance of your obsession pulls you deeper and deeper into the thing. It happens with big things like love and little things like this film.

It is so lovely and rich I want to live in it forever. It is like that magically seductive stranger you glance on the street with whom you imagine a dreamy Technicolor life. Perhaps you even chat and her charms set hooks that you carry about for some time.

With some distance you realize that the engagement was in the seduction alone.

Here we have a tale, a simple tale of a woman with few options, lucky enough to have a lover. We learn many of the romantic elements that he carries in such a way that they stay even when he is gone. Her love is as strong, stronger in his absence because she can reweave those lush romantic images nightly.

And here we have a film constructed the same way. It is so lovely, so romantic that it entices us. It teases our appetite for visual beauty. As with "Sex and Lucia," and "Happy Together" the poles of emotion are symbolized by lighthouse and a holes in the earth, and these poles are played for all their attractions.

Even the war scenes are so lovingly crafted. We can feel the horror but at the same time willingly invite ourselves deeper because the romantic enfolding is so seductive.

At the end, you feel like you have consumed an entire box of rare chocolates, each one a world, a vamp.

But there's no nourishment here. In "Amelie" there was. It was worth putting yourself through the thing because it was a small love that rewarded back hugely. All that business about the mystery of the image and self-reference. You loved, you grew.

Here, you feel as if you have wasted your best loves on the delicate fantasies of passing strangers and received nothing. Nothing at all.

Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 3: Worth watching.

I write this review with a somewhat hesitant hand. I can't say that the film wasn't good, but what I can say is that I was expecting so much more. I mean the casting was perfect (did you know that Jodie Foster spoke French????). The cinematography, phenomenal. The story, heart-wrenching? I feel that it failed to do that for me, and in that lies my disappointment. I felt that the film did not do enough to connect the viewer to Mathilde's plight, her heartache, and most importantly, her hope. Hope is meant to be a major theme in the film, and although you feel some hope, it does not hold a candle to the emotion and connection felt in Amelie. Just another side - I hate war movies, this film did a good job at showing the viewer how devastating and heartbreaking war is, but it was a little too much for me to stomach. I wouldn't say "don't watch it" but I would say "watch it with low expectation and then you may be surprised". I HOPE that you enjoy(ed) this film more than I did.

After the Word War I, the limp and superstitious Mathilde (Audrey Tautou) does not accept the disappearance of her fiancée Manech (Gaspard Ulliel) from the trenches of Somme. Manech and other four soldiers were accused of self-mutilation and sentenced to death by the Martial Court. However, no survival is able to state that Manech really died, and Mathilde invest her savings and hopes searching for him.

Yesterday I saw "Un Long Dimanche de Fiançailles" on DVD and I really found it a too long romance, sometimes very boring, but with beautiful cinematography and music score. For my surprise, this movie is among the IMDb Top 250, being completely overrated since the story is very weird, and although being a romance, there is no romanticism at all. Stanley Kubrick's "Path of Glory" is an anti-war masterpiece, and an excellent movie about the theme of soldiers sentenced to death in WWI by a French Martial Court. "Un Long Dimanche de Fiançailles" adds a tedious romance to a very similar storyline. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Eterno Amor" ("Eternal Love")

A very long Engagement Review MMM Audience, film-lovers, connoisseurs of war films and probably yourself are used to bloody dark scenes where soldiers cry out of despair discovering their body torn apart. But this was just before A Very Long Engagement released on October 27th 2004. This film brings a new life to war on screen. Adapted from the French novel equivalent of "A very long engagement" in English by Sébastien Japrisot, the French movie maker Jean-Pierre Jeunet brings a new perspective to the brutality of war by turning it into a kind of complicated dramatic detective story and romance full of hope and strangeness that is the love story between Mathilde and Manech. This touching film tells the story of Mathilde: Audrey Tautou a young woman tirelessly searching for her fiancé Manech: Gaspard Ulliel sent the trenches of the Somme during World War One. These two out of time persons are in love since their earliest childhood. Together, they were strong and able to face the world as the scene of the lighthouse shows it. But suddenly, war appeared and put an end to the innocent and blissful love story. I stop you abruptly; I can hear when you say "Oh this is nothing but a love story, a dud for young girl". Well, I admit that thrill seekers would probably be disappointed with A Very Long Engagement and even never watch it seeing the title! Let's speak about it: the title! I think that thanks to this title the audience is in the know that they mustn't expect disembowel soldiers like in Saving Private Ryan,without criticize this excellent film of course. Anyway, I thank dear Jean-Pierre Jeunet for having kept the original title. Yet, detective story-lovers will also get their share. The fact that it is filmed from Mathilde's point of view bothers and obscures the audience. Is Manech still alive or not? From the bottom of your seat you will try to understand as well as Mathilde, clues given to her. Complex characters such as the private detective named Pire : Ticky Holgado, the French prostitute Tina Lombardi :Marion Cotillard or Elodie Gordes :Jodie Foster bring different points of view which can let the audience think that each character is a liar and show the wrong way to Mathilde in her quest but actually they are not, they just tell it how they saw it. All along the film, Mathilde knows deep in her heart that if Manech dies she will know it and through her eyes, her lover is eternal because he lives thanks to her endless love. She tries to convince herself and never stops hoping. She embodies innocence of love as two quotes show it: Mathilde: peeling an apple "If I don't break the peel, Manech is alive"

"If I reach the bend before the car, Manech will come back alive" Beyond this love story, the film denounces the absurdity of war especially through Manech and his fellows portrayed at war. Rouvières: "A Trench named Bingo Crepuscule? Why not Youppie Tralala?" A Small slab of humor eases the hardness of being stuck in a battlefield. Thanks to Jean-Pierre Jeunet's intertwined qualities neither the horrific images of war nor the love story itself dominates over the other. The complementarity between the two makes the excellence and success of this film. The entire movie could be summed up by this beautiful sentence that Manech says to Mathilde which is punctuated by this alliteration in "m": "Manech M Mathilde, Mathilde M Manech" Nothing and no-one could change it.

Boy, how I wished this wasn't so highly uneven as it is. We have a cinematic triumph - stunningly produced, photographed and staged. But for me, the emotional magic I expected from the great French team of Jeunet & Tatou, disappears in the protracted and very plodding unfolding of its story: a sweeping WW1 backdrop romantic drama that halfway through, transforms into a detective puzzle. That's just one of the tricks from "Amelie" that doesn't fully work here, as that costume change does feel uncomfortable indeed... I honestly stopped caring if Mathilde's love (who is also portrayed quite anonymously) returned, after the umpteenth thread of hope popped up with more and more new characters... - along with repeated re-enactments of the same scenes.

The high level of graphic war images, mixed with Jeunets trademark quirky comic touches is also a bit too jarring for me. On the whole, it's still safely and surely above average. And a wonderful surprise to see Jodie Foster in a work like this!

6 out of 10 from Ozjeppe

Reading through other comments about this film, I wonder if its the same film we saw. I personally found it deeply unsatisfying and a was majorly disappointed (as were the rest of my group who saw it).

Visually sumptuous, no question: lovingly crafted, without doubt: humane story with all the emotions, definitely. But somehow, in spite of all the cinematic visual, aural and emotional strings being pulled in every direction, the film was totally unengaging. End result was simply one of simply watching the story unfold rather than being drawn into the quest of finding the fiancé, post WW1. Virtually all the characters, with the exception of the fully rounded (literally) aunt and a superb Jodie Foster, were two dimensional.

Disappointing.

Recap: The First World War has broken out, and in the trenches around Somme the situation is desperate. Five French soldiers decide to take a chance to escape. Everyone, one way or another, inflicts a shot wound to their hand in a try to get leave as wounded. But the punishment for self-maiming in the French army is harsh; death! The sentence is carried out by forcing the men out between the German and French trenches, and let the inevitable happen.

At the end of the war Mathilde learns that Manech, her boyfriend, was one of the five, and that he died. Mathilde refuses to believe that Manech died and starts the seemingly futile task of collecting clues about the fate of the five, and learn what ultimately became of Manech.

Comments: Of course this falls into the genre Romance, because Mathilde searches for her lost love. But that is almost all of it. The rest is story of mystery and uncertainties. The fate of Manech is a web of clues, misinformation, assumptions and unknowns. Mathilde assumes the role of the detective that slowly and painfully pushes the investigations along. And even though it is never any doubt over the ending, it is entertaining, interesting and engaging to see Mathilde untangle this web.

Even though the setting is the war and its aftermath, and even though I think that is more of a mystery than a romantic movie, maybe the best words to summarize the movie is warmth and love. Audrey Tautou makes a great performance, and you can see and feel Mathilde's love for Manech the love that drives her, and the warmth of the character. The warmth and love is also present between Mathilde and her foster-parents. Although the parents may doubt that Manech is still alive, and wish for Mathilde to accept this and move on, they dutifully support her and drives her wherever she wants.

Two other things should be mentioned. The first is that you might find very good actors in smaller roles. For instance, look for Jodie Foster and Tchéky Karyo in small but interesting parts. The other are the sceneries chosen. All are impressive and beautiful, if you might call a First World War battlefield, beautiful. What I do mean is that it is noticeable that the director and crew has been very careful about both the details and the overall picture which gives each scene and background a very nice air of completeness. It might also be interesting to watch the change in colours, Manech's adventures in the war is shown, not surprisingly, in a very dull grey. But when Mathilde is about, the scene is full of warm colours enhancing the character.

Not completely the genre I like most though, so I rated it a

7/10

I love French movies, so I am biased, but this was particularly interesting since I read the IMDb comments prior to viewing, and was intrigued by the film's impact. It is long, and moves slowly, as do many European films, but the story unfolds beautifully. There is suspense and terror at every turn as episodes of World War I show the brutality of trench warfare, and the technological advance of plane, bombs, artillery shells. I hadn't expected a 'war' movie, but it is unexpected and explosive storytelling at its best. And, the appearance of Jodie Foster is also a surprise and a bit of a jolt. For any student of history, and any student of film, this is a great classic film for its authenticity, its beauty, its craftsmanship and the color and style of the movie. Each shot is art.