A Very Long Engagement (2004)

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Synopsis of A Very Long Engagement

Audrey Tautou, who rose to international stardom with the title role in Jean-Pierre Jeunet's worldwide smash Amélie, reunites with the director for this drama, set during the darkest days of World War I and its immediate aftermath. Mathilde (Tautou) is a pretty but frail young women who was left with a bad leg after a childhood bout with polio. Mathilde lives in a small French village with her Aunt Bénédicte (Chantal Neuwirth) and Uncle Sylvain (Dominique Pinon), and is engaged to marry Manech (Gaspard Ulliel), the son of a lighthouse keeper who is fighting with the army near the German front. Manech is one of five soldiers who have been accused of injuring themselves in order to be sent home; in order to discourage similar behavior among their comrades, Manech and the other soldiers are sentenced to death, and the condemned men are marched into the no man's land between the French and German lines, where they are certain to be killed. Mathilde receives word of Manech's death, but in her heart she believes that if the man she loved had been killed, she would know it and feel it. Convinced he's still alive somewhere, Mathilde hires a private detective (Ticky Holgado) shortly after the end of the war, and together they set out to find the missing Manech. Jodie Foster appears in a supporting role as a Polish expatriate living in France. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Theatrical Feature Running Time:

133 mins

Complete Cast of A Very Long Engagement

Director(s):

Jean-Pierre Jeunet

Writer(s):

Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Guillaume Laurant

Producer(s):

Francis Boespflug

Theatrical MPAA Rating:

R(Adult Language, Brief Nudity, War Violence, Sexual Situations, Adult Situations)

Categories:

Drama, Romance

• 2004 - American Society of Cinematographers - Best Cinematography
• 2004 - Boston Society of Film Critics - Best Foreign Language Film
• 2004 - Boston Society of Film Critics - Best Cinematography [Runner-up]
• 2004 - Chicago Film Critics Association - Best Foreign Film

Warning:  This product is intended for mature audiences only. It may contain violence, sexual content, drug abuse and/or strong language. You must be 17 or older to purchase it. By ordering this item you are certifying that you are at least 17 years of age.

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