 |
A Very Long Engagement Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet MA 15+ Palace Nova, now screening 
The director of 'Amelie' teams up with that film's star actor Audrey Tautou again for another visually splendid film. While not reaching the five star standard set by 'Amelie', this collaboration is still worth seeing. As with 'Amelie' the use of colour is masterful and there's a certain charming quirkiness at times, seen in the way the characters are introduced to show the humanity of each person. It's an anti-war love story in which childhood sweethearts Manech and Mathilde are separated when Manech is called up to fight for France in World War I.The scenes in the trenches of the Somme are extremely graphic, vividly portraying the violence and horror of war, and some of these may be too gruesome for the faint-hearted. The physical effects of explosions and the emotional effects on the boys on the front line are extremely unpleasant. However, all of this anti-war content is tempered by the sweet determination of Mathilde who refuses to believe her lover is not coming back to her to honour their engagement. She plays little games with herself, saying such things as: "if I can run to the corner before the car gets there, he'll be alive". Unfortunately fate often answers her challenges ambiguously so she's never quite sure if her faith is justified. Audrey Tautou is lovely as Mathilde, who plays the tuba believing: "it's the only instrument that sounds like a distress call". She lives with her aunt and uncle in a rural French cliff-top cottage until she leaves in search of clues about what has happened to Manech. Fans of Jeunet movies will recognise Uncle Sylvain's amusing face, having seen actor Dominique Pinon in several earlier films. Angelo Badalamenti provides the musical score and it's more conventional sounding than his usual ethereal efforts with David Lynch; and Bruno Delbonnel, winner of the European Film Academy's 'Best European Cinematographer' award for 'Amelie' proves his worth again on 'A Very Long Engagement'. As long as you can cope with seeing people being blown up and maimed, this is a story which keep you enthralled. In French, with English sub-titles.  |
|
The latest issue available now!     |
All content copyright dB Magazine