"Better a fallen rocket than never a burst of light."
~ Tom Stoppard, The Invention of Love

Thursday, August 25, 2016

A Very Long Engagement (2004, R)

Even though it’s wonderful, this film is very much the most unconventional of Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s moives, in that it is so conventional.  By that, I mean its sense of whimsy isn’t quite so off-kilter, the visuals, while stunning, aren’t Jeunet’s usual brand of kooky beauty, and on the whole, the film is grander and more sweeping than his others.  It’s also his only film based on a previously-written work, which I’m sure has a lot to do with it, but he strikes a fine balance between telling the story as it needs to be told and infusing it with his own sensibilities.

It is 1920, three years since Mathilde’s fiancée Manech was reported dead in WWI, but she still refuses to believe it.  When she learns that Manech was in fact court-martialed for self-mutilation, and that he and four others were sent over the top for execution via no man’s land, she’s more determined than ever that Manech somehow escaped with his life.  She begins a tireless investigation into the events of that day, meeting secrets, coverups, and misinformation at every turn but bound to keep digging until her efforts bring Manech back to her.

This is a beautiful film that deftly mixes a handful of genres.  It is by turns a war drama, an amateur detective story, an epic romance, and a light comedy, and it moves seamlessly through changes in tone and tenor.  I found it a little tricky to follow my first time through, if only because characters tend to run together in war movies and I had a bit of trouble keeping track of who was who.  By now, though, I’ve seen it several times, and I love how well the mystery unfolds.  The various reveals Mathilde uncovers take her forward and backward in her crusade at a nice pace, and the whole puzzle hangs together wonderfully well.

There are elements here that are very Jeunet.  I enjoy his visual creativity, such as Mathilde’s fantasy playing out like a silent movie and the neat execution of the “sunglasses” murder.  The flashbacks of Mathilde and Manech’s relationship offer a love story that fits in with Louison and Julie, Amélie and Nino, and Bazil and the contortionist.  As usual, I also love the fanciful details Jeunet includes, like the bartender’s wooden hand, the running gag with the mailman, and the assorted “deals” Mathilde tries to strike with fate on Manech’s behalf.  Where it departs from Jeunet’s usual fare is in an overall more grounded tone – understandable, given the WWI setting of the flashbacks.  Even though the story it tells is still fantastical, the world it inhabits feels more plausible than that of Jeunet’s other films.  Some might call it a “mature” film for him, but that would make it sound like a slight to his others, which isn’t the case.  He’s doing something different here, while still injecting the movie with a little of himself, and he does it very well.

Plenty of Jeunet’s regulars in the cast, including Dominique Pinon, Ticky Holgado, and Jean-Claude Dreyfus, with Audrey Tautou as an excellent Mathilde (I still prefer Amélie, because who wouldn’t, but she’s really great here.)  The film also features Jodie Foster, performing in what sounds like good French to my untrained ear, and a terrific turn by Marion Cotillard prior to her Oscar win and subsequent heightened profile in Hollywood.

Warnings

Violence (including battle scenes,) sexual content, language, drinking/smoking, and thematic elements.

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