Day 15- Movie 12. A Very Long Engagement (2004)

I'm trying to keep this blog classy, so I went with A Very Long Engagement, a French film from 2004. I had a few reasons for wanting to see this movie. First, it was nominated for two Academy Awards (Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography), so it's probably not all that bad. Secondly, it stars Audrey Tautou. I really like Tautou. She pretty much gets a lifetime pass from me for Amelie. I'll talk more on that in a minute.

This film is interesting- it's the story of a woman (Tautou) who begins a long, up-and-down search for her missing fiance during World War I. It's an independent film, but it's on a pretty epic scale. At the heart of the film is this mystery about her missing lover- is he alive? Is he dead? Along the way, she finds pieces of the puzzle, and tries to understand what happened the day he so mysteriously disappeared. In addition to that central mystery are some epic battle scenes, some well-acted drama, and romance as well. There's a lot in this movie, and it runs a lengthy 133 minutes. However, it doesn't really drag, because it's hard not to get caught up in the search for the truth.

I liked this movie, but I didn't love it. The biggest problem I had is with Gaspard Ulliel, who plays her missing fiance. He comes across as weak, cowardly, and a bit of a simpleton. I just couldn't get into the story because it was so hard for me to believe Tautou would dedicate her life to searching for a guy who seemed mostly replacable. I also thought it was a bit of a stretch that we were supposed to believe Ulliel is a year older than Tautou, when in real life, he's eight years younger. All the special effects in the world aren't going to cover that up.

Still, A Very Long Engagement is a good, solid movie. I was engaged throughout the film, and so I'd give this movie a 7/10.

I did want to mention Amelie. If you haven't seen this movie, I highly recommend it. This is a film that is easily accessible- even if you don't like foreign films. I think this is the first movie I would recommend to a movie fan who can't really get into foreign films, but wants to broaden their movie-viewing horizons. Amelie is this charming, unforgettable little film that features a stunning performance from Audrey Tautou. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed that movie. Has anyone else seen this movie? Is it as good as I'm trying to make it sound?

Anyway, I'm shutting it down for the night. After the first 15 days, I'm only 3 movies behind. That's not too bad, considering how much life gets in the way of my movie watching. I do have a few things to do this weekend, but I'm going to try to get caught up. There's no telling when I'll lose an entire week, and I don't want to fall too far behind. I do have Christmas coming up, which is a great time to watch a bunch of movies with family. Thanks for reading, and I'll see you next time.