Movie-A Very Long Engagement

This was a very quirky movie...and I mean that in a good way. It is unique and engaging, and quite humorous despite having a serious subject.

A Very Long Engagement (2004) is a French film starring Audrey Tautou as Mathilde, who fiancee disappears on the lines in WW I, presumed by all to be dead. But she does not believe it, and as she digs into it, she finds more to make her question whether he is indeed dead, or somehow still alive.

The movie is not rushed, and is quaint. As Tautou is known to do, her character is not straight forward, but a little off kilter. But the movie is painted with lush colors, both cinematically and narratively. It is bold and vibrant and yet still quaint and subtle somehow.

While I sometimes did not follow every detail of the mystery, every nuance of the characters on the front, I was able to follow the broad strokes easily. A nice cameo from Jodie Foster speaking fluent French caught me by surprise. This is a very good movie, that is unique visually, and has some really nice story telling. Tautou really makes the movie work, and her talent of bringing the endearing character to life is in full form here.