By Jordan S. Carroll
“A Very Long Engagement” is Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s latest film. As such, I had high expectations going in. “Amelie,” “City of Lost Children,” and “Delicatessen” are all wonderful films – Jeunet hasn’t disappointed me so far. But, ultimately, my expectations prevented me from enjoying an otherwise solid film.
“A Very Long Engagement” follows Mathilde (Audry “Amelie” Tautou) in her search for her betrothed, Manech. Manech, along with four others, is court-martialed for self-mutilation to escape from World War I and sent out into No Man’s Land to fend for himself. Against all odds and reports, Mathilde hopes that Manech somehow eluded the Jerries and the gendarmes and made it out alive. In her search she encounters another investigator on the same trail, a Corsican prostitute intent on extracting vengeance for the presumed death of her lover Angel. The plot thickens and then hardens as Mathilde follows the lives of the five executed men as they interweave with intrigues and subplots.
All the while, this mystery is told with typical Jeunet quirkiness and sentimentality. Each character, almost predictably, has some oddity about them. Even Manech’s trench in the Somme has a funny name: “Bingo Crepuscule.” But there are moments, particularly when Mathilde’s parents are introduced, when it feels like we’re getting leftovers from “Amelie.”
There is some originality in the film. It shifts in style from realistic to faded photograph to antique letter. At times it’s almost reminiscent of a Nick Bartock art book in its lavish detail.
The main problem of the film, though, is that their romance becomes little more than a charming story. His mutilated hand throbs with the beat of Mathilde’s breast, and the lovers take for their symbol an albatross flying in place against the wind. Manech just isn’t strong enough a character to pin Mathilde’s hopes to, especially in the midst of a gritty World War I.
But, I suppose, the film is less about their relationship with each other and more about Mathilde’s refusal to give up on Manech. Even here, there are problems. I couldn’t help but wonder about the message of the film: does Jeunet want us to refuse to accept the deaths of loved ones? Given that all evidence points to Manech’s death in No Man’s Land, it seems unhealthy for Mathilde to continue searching for him. Yet the film does what it can to present Mathilde’s denial as beautiful hope.
I don’t think I would be picking on the film so much if it weren’t for the fact that Jeunet’s previous films were so good and my expectations were so high. The film did manage to sustain my interest despite the somewhat convoluted mystery plot. And, if nothing else, Audrey Tautou is unbelievably charming as usual. While “A Very Long Engagement” is a weak entry in Jeunet’s catalog, it is a fairly good film on its own and worth seeing.
