Not sure how, but this is easily one of the best movies all summer. Multiple levels of funny, never takes itself seriously, super colorful, and creative.

Blistering performances.

Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.

Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

From the director who brought us one of the best feel-good movies ever made, Amelie, comes a beautiful film of hope and undying love. This was completely and utterly stunning, both visually and on an acting level. Audrey Tautou is exceptional as usual, and Jean-Pierre's unique storytelling is legendary. The film will make you laugh and cry in equal amounts while you marvel at the incredible visuals.

It had been a long time since I last watched this film, but one of my suitemates enjoys French film and wanted to see it after I described the plot to her. However, I didn't really remember much else beyond that. Jean-Pierre Jeunet makes rather quirky films, and A VERY LONG ENGAGEMENT is no exception. There is a sense that the world he depicts could exist, and it helps that the story has an actual historical setting, but there will always be a few things that seem off-kilter or just a little weird. Weirdness done or its own sake can be off-putting, but I feel like there was a good amount here that helped to round out what were very endearing characters. In general, there was a sweetness that provided excellent counterpoint to the horrors of war that are periodically depicted. Of course, the story itself is a large part of this. Audrey Tautou's character goes on a mission to find her fiancé who went missing during the war. She never gives up hope that he might still be alive, even when things don't look they will turn out OK. A lot of French films (at least the well-known ones) are known for being downbeat and/or having depressing endings. I liked that this film is more positive and hope-filled. The only mild gripe I have is that it might take a little too long to get to the eventual destination. Not quite patience-testing, but surely the script could have been tightened a little bit. Still, this was a wonderful story told with great performances and a generous helping of visual panache. Highly recommended, especially for people who like foreign films.

Not knowing what to expect, I hoped this might be a good movie to hire. It seemed to tick all the boxes and there were many good reviews.An unexpected gem, simply beautiful to look at, the cinematography and the use of lighting adding to the story.The story follows the twists and turns of a young woman who is determined to find her fiancé whom she has been told was killed in the war. Unsentimental and charming, with a cast of fine actors, (including the animals,)this is not only a film that subtly portrays the useless pursuit of war, but which thoroughly entertains.

This is precisely the kind of situation that makes me want to write movie reviews. A strong word of advice to whomever may read this prior to watching "A Very Long Engagement," ridiculous as this may seem, take notes when you watch this movie…espeeeeecially during the first 15 minutes. I am not exaggerating when I say that there are about 20 different characters whose stories are all intertwined, and if you are to connect the dots you need to remember which names are associated with which characters, and unless you have had a great deal of exposure to French names then most of the names will feel foreign to you which will only exacerbate your inability to keep track of who is whom. Furthermore, almost all the men have facial hair and military uniforms, so that makes it even hard to remember which one is which.I know, it sounds extreme, but watch it with enough light in the room to take notes, jot down what names are associated with which professions, who had the German boots, whose girlfriend is whose, etc. If I were to criticize this movie I would criticize it for having an excessively complex plot (note that I am not). I am just promising you that you will indubitably enjoy this movie more if you keep up with the story and its intricate spider-web of characters, professions, relationships, assassinations, etcetera, aaaaaaand you are certainly going to follow better (at least enough to not get lost half way through) if you take notes. I finally stopped and started over after an hour because I just couldn't keep track of to which characters they were referring every few minutes. If you heed my council and take notes, one hour into it you will be studying them to make sure you are understanding, and you will thank me and never doubt my advice again. I loved this movie.