Every year, I do a top 10 list of my favorite movies of that particular year. Usually by the time November rolls around, I have a good idea of how that top 10 list will look. There were a lotta movies in 2001 that I loved, and by mid-November of that year, I was pretty sure that my number one movie would be either "Memento" or "Moulin Rouge." I loved both movies enough to figure that by the end of the year, there was no way I'd see another movie I'd enjoy more. That was until November 17, when I saw a French film called "Amélie." "Amélie" blew me away, and I walked out of the theater knowing that I'd just seen my favorite movie of 2001 (click here to see the list of my top 10 films of 2001). In fact, before the year was through, I saw "Amélie" twice more in the theater. It's an excellent movie, my favorite film of 2001.
I don't know what it is about the French, but I love their movies. I'm sick of the constant anti-Americanism from many of them, but when it comes to their movies, I think they're awesome. In fact, two years after I called "Amélie" my favorite film of 2001, another French film, "Irréversible," was my favorite film of 2003 (click here to see the list of my top 10 films of 2003). French films are different from the usual crap cranked out in Hollywood, they actually strive to be unique rather than follow a repeatedly used formula. Actually, this goes for most foreign films, but the French films are closer to the kinds of movies I like: dark, whimsical, twisted, quirky, disturbing, and/or just plain weird.
I was really looking forward to "A Very Long Engagement" because it reunited the director of "Amélie" with that film's star. Also, critics seemed to love the movie. When it finally started playing in Miami, I saw it immediately, and... well, I liked it, but I didn't like it as much as "Amélie." I guess I'd have to say I was disappointed. I liked the movie, it was really good, but yeah, I did feel disappointed.
"A Very Long Engagement" is a big, sweeping, romantic war epic, one that's kinda similar to "Cold Mountain," though it's set during World War One rather than the Civil War. "A Very Long Engagement" looks great, visually, it's astonishing, but the story isn't all that interesting to me. I love the characters, but the story is pretty standard considering the previous work of the director.
The movie was directed by the great Jean-Pierre Jeunet, and I've seen every single one of his feature films. He directed his first two films, "Delicatessen" and "The City of Lost Children" with Marc Caro, and they're both excellent movies. He then went on his own to direct "Alien: Resurrection" (the movie isn't very good, but it sure looks cool) and after that came his masterpiece, "Amélie." Jeunet is an extremely talented director, but aside from "Alien: Resurrection," this is probably my least favorite of his films.
Jean-Pierre Jeunet wrote the film along with Guillaume Laurant (together they wrote "Amélie," and helped write "City of Lost Children"), and it's based on the novel by Sébastien Japrisot. In almost all of Jeunet's films, it's an original story where he has some involvement in the writing. With "Alien: Resurrection," he kept out of the writing completely, and that's his worst film. With "A Very Long Engagement," he helped write the screenplay, but it wasn't an original story, it was based on a novel. Maybe his next film will be an original story that he'll help write, and I'll like it as much as "Amélie."
The cast is awesome, with Audrey Tautou (the star of "Amélie") taking centerstage once again for director Jeunet. She's one of the biggest stars in France, and it's easy to see why. She's gorgeous, with huge, expressive eyes, and a beautiful smile. On top of that, she's a great actress. Gaspard Ulliel (he was in "Brotherhood of the Wolf," but I don't remember him) plays her fiancee in the film, and he's very convincing. He has a tough role, but he plays it well, without ever going over the top. A good, solid performance. Marion Cotillard (the beautiful female lead in the French film "Love Me If You Dare," a movie I highly recommend) plays the mysterious "Tina Lombardi," and she's excellent. Dominique Pinon, who has been in all of Jeunet's movies, is also in the film, and he provides the film's sense of humor. I really like what Pinon brings to Jeunet's films, and I hope they continue to work together. Albert Dupontel, who co-starred in "Irréversible," is also really good. Some may be surprised to see Jodie Foster in the film (that's right, the star of "The Silence of the Lambs," "Contact," and "Panic Room"), but she's in it, speaking flawless French and giving another excellent performance. Unfortunately, her presence borders on distracting, despite how great she is in it.
"A Very Long Engagement" is a really good movie, make no mistake, but fans of Jean-Pierre Jeunet who are looking for something along the lines of "Delicatessen," "The City of Lost Children," or "Amélie" may be in for a disappointment. Yes, it's a good movie, but not as good as his earlier films, nor is it as original.
Scale of 1-10: 8