A Very Long Engagement

Rating:	★★★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Drama

Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet

Based on a novel written by Sébastien Japrisot

Stars: Audrey Tautou, Gaspard Ulliel and Jodie Foster. (Yes Jodie Foster plays a minor role as one of the many characters in the story. And she speaks French).

Summary
This is a film set in France in the last days of the First World War and one woman's unrelenting search for her beloved fiancé who was among those reported to have died in the war in the most unusual way. In her heart she truly does not believe his death and she has hired a private investigator to search for him. In their search, they discover contemptible practices of the the French army which exposed their own soldiers to their death. They also hear several versions of how he died.

My Take:
It is both an excellent portrayal of the cruelty of war and the unusual force that binds lovers and make a solemn vow to be together even in death. The flashbacks to the war provide vivid and clear backgrounder to the unfolding events in the search. The sepia-toned cinematography adds to the period setting of the film. It's almost like you're viewing one of those old silent movies but with sound and color. As the whole movie uses the French language in it's dialogue, there's a sub-title all through-out the movie, which makes it all the more like a vintage silent movie.

As mentioned earlier, the search yields several versions of what and how things actually happened. Thus the ending is a bit of a surprise if not totally unexpected. But you have to keep your eyes open till the very end to find out. It's a typical French film, i.e. what we refer to here as "dragging" (but not boring). So, if you're the the kind of movie-goer who's expecting a lot of action, shooting and bombs exploding, you might not be awake to see the ending.

The movie is being shown this week in HBO. Try to catch it if you can. Or try the DVD shop.