| Overall Grade: |
A+ |
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| Story: |
A |
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| Acting: |
A+ |
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| Direction: |
A+ |
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| Visuals: |
A+ |
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Another beautiful film from director of "Amelie"
by T (movies profile)
Jun 12, 2007
48
of
51 people found this review helpful
Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Audrey Tautou, the director and star of "Amelie", live up to the standard set by their previous achievement. "A Very Long Engagement" ("Un Long Dimanche de Fiancailles") tells the love story of two young people at the time of World War I. This is a different story than that of "Amelie" but it still flows with magic and grace and is told so beautifully. Every aspect of this film is done with such detail that it is easy to be drawn in to the story with utter release.
Director Jeunet's unique filming style is once again seen throughout the film from the first flicker of light at the opening of the film. He has a way of showing the beauty of everything, from the flight of a bird over the sea to the brutality of the first Great War.
Audrey Tautou gracefully embodies her character. She would be easily compared to Audrey Hepburn with her style and charm on screen. They other supporting cast, including a few from "Amelie", provide a very well acted ensemble. Gaspard Ulliel, although rarely seen during the story, also performed his character as the love of Tautou's character with charm. Jodie Foster, an American, did a fantastic job of playing a French woman and could have fooled me had I not known she was from the U.S.
The cinematography was breathtakingly beautiful. Every frame was filled with such detail and artistic composition. The often-used digital effects were seamless companions to the film and the cinematography. The color of the film was also very interesting and had a very brown and soft, dream-like look. I would frame and hang many of the shots on my wall--they could easily stand alone as works of art.
The musical scoring just soared. It flowed perfectly with the tone of the film and provided a great emotional addition to the story.
This was an absolutely wonderful experience at the theater and it was easy to fall in love with this film. It shows the power of hope and true love and the terrible atrocity of war. With just one person's passion, many people's lives are changed. Through the constant pursuit of what is desired, hope proves to be a worth while effort.
It would be wise to watch "Amelie" at some point, either before or after viewing the film, so as to see Jeunet's other masterpiece. This is sure to be an Oscar contender and will likely do well at the Golden Globes. If not, it still is well worth any time invested into it.
I loved it. |
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