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[olimario]

Amelie is one of my favorite films. I adore the director, how he directs, his visual style, and his wonderful casting. From the trailer it seems that 'A Very Long Engagement' is another beautiful, well-cast film, but I can't find a theatre near me that is showing it.

Has anyone here seen it? How was it on it's own accord? How was it compared to Amelie?
The trailer impressed me to no end.

'A Very Long Engagement' Trailer
http://www.apple.com/trailers/warner_independent_pictures/averylongengagement.html

 

[Meier]

Just saw it last night -- it's phenomenal. Definitely has a lot of touches that Jeunet is known for and has quite a number of cameos/large performances from members of the Amelie cast that you will probably recognize immediately. The battle scenes are very, very well and in all honesty, I wouldnt be surprised if one of the major distributors tried to get him to do a major motion-picture with a number of battle scenes -- they're that well-done/convincing.

If you liked Amelie, I think you'll like this.

 

[mrkapawutzis]

I've read the book and it is very good. The people working on the film seemed to capture the mood of the book (at least from the trailer) so hopefully the movie will be just as good. As far as 'have I seen it?' Not yet. I might have to wait for it to come out on DVD because no one I know wants to watch it.

 

[olimario]

Just saw it last night -- it's phenomenal. Definitely has a lot of touches that Jeunet is known for and has quite a number of cameos/large performances from members of the Amelie cast that you will probably recognize immediately. The battle scenes are very, very well and in all honesty, I wouldnt be surprised if one of the major distributors tried to get him to do a major motion-picture with a number of battle scenes -- they're that well-done/convincing.

If you liked Amelie, I think you'll like this.

Wonderful. Thanks, Meier.
It did seem all the visual touches were there from what I saw. The trailer shows a guy lobbing a grenade into the air and hitting a plane flying overhead. That was seriously impressive.

 

[radios shipping overview]

I really want to see this, but who knows when they'll bother showing it in backwoods Utah. It looks gorgeous (and not just because of Audrey Tautou!).

 

[distantmantra]

I saw A Very Long Engagement last Friday night here in Seattle, it was a wonderful film both in terms of the storyline and the visuals. I felt that it echoed Amelie a little too much at times, but seeing how I absolutely loved that film, it wasn't that big of a deal to me. My girlfriend read the book a while back and said it's extremely faithful to the source material. I think I'm taking my Dad to see this tomorrow on Christmas Eve (family tradition, we take my Mom to work and then hang out in Seattle all day going to a movie and walking around).

 

[SolidSnakex]

I really want to see this, but who knows when they'll bother showing it in backwoods Utah. It looks gorgeous (and not just because of Audrey Tautou!).

If you can't find it anywhere near you it shouldn't be too long before the French DVD is available and it'll likely have English subs.

Jeunet and Audrey were on a talk show on PBS I saw recently and said they wanted to work together again. I don't think Jeunet has anything on his schedule at the moment, while Audrey's completing The Russian Dolls. His last 2 movies have both starred Audrey, so might as well go for the 3 peat.

 

[olimario]

If you can't find it anywhere near you it shouldn't be too long before the French DVD is available and it'll likely have English subs.

Jeunet and Audrey were on a talk show on PBS I saw recently and said they wanted to work together again. I don't think Jeunet has anything on his schedule at the moment, while Audrey's completing The Russian Dolls. His last 2 movies have both starred Audrey, so might as well go for the 3 peat.

It's like M. Night and Willis!

 

[MacGuffin]

I haven't "seen" it, but from what I hear from my Professor (he teaches French cinema, as well as a Demy/Varda class, a Fellini Class, etc) that the film isn't as deep as some of Jean Pierre's other films, but it has been winning the European crowds over and is very good. I hope that helps some...?

 

[enjoy bell woods]

I saw this, and thought it was pretty fucking mediocre. It doesn't compare to Jeunet's last, Amelie, and it actually steals a lot of Amelie's style. The story is quite uninteresting, and the only thing that saves the film is the wonderful cinematography. Another overrated 2004 film.

The people I went with disliked this, and another couple of people I know -- fans of Amelie -- didn't like it either. I was extremely impressed by the trailer, if that helps you any. I wasn't impressed by this movie.

See The Life Aquatic on Saturday.

 

[enjoy bell woods]

If you haven't seen City of Lost Children, watch that. It's on at 4 CST on the Sundance Channel.

 

[Lathentar]

MSNBC didn't like it
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/6700297/site/newsweek

 

[Blimblim]

Saw the film (being french it's a bit easier for me). It's really great. It does not have that whacky feeling of Amelie (a bit in the beginning that's all) and can be enjoyed by about everyone. Even my parents loved the movie, and they hated Amelie.
+10000 for Jodie Foster. I knew she spoke a flawless french but seeing her actually speak with the Parisian accent from the beginning of the century was incredible.

 

[brooklyngooner]

The book is absolutely awful.

 

[Substance]

I want to see it but I hear its 'very long'.

 

[sefskillz]

I adore the director, how he directs, his visual style, and his wonderful casting.

Yea, Alien: Resurrection was awesome.

Sorry, I couldn't help it... at any rate, I really want to see this movie.

 

[Dead]

Man everyone should see City of Lost Children and Delicatessen. I really want to see this, its playing in one theater in Houston, I HAVE to go

 

[olimario]

Man everyone should see City of Lost Children and Delicatessen. I really want to see this, its playing in one theater in Houston, I HAVE to go

Which one? Angelika?

 

[Dead]

Which one? Angelika?

Landmark RiverOaks 3

 

[Macam]

Beat me to it; the Landmark River Oaks 3 theater is the only theater in Houston playing it. It's a nice theater with only 3 screens (showing only this, Kinsey, and Sideways). It's very much in line with Jeunet's Amelie, carrying a lot of his visual and directorial styles over; Amelie is the only film from him I've seen, so it's hard to say if it's something that's persistent in his movies or just from Amelie in particular. It's not a deep movie, but it is a very enjoyable one, full of the wonderful characters he seems able to create, great visual style, and some great performances. I wasn't too pleased with the way it ended, but on the whole, I would certainly recommend it.

And while you're there, check out Sideways if the premise seems interesting to you. It's an excellent film, far better than Kinsey, Closer, and some of the other more low key films of late.

 

[Meier]

Sideways is 2004's best film I'd have to say. Astoundingly good and far better than anything Payne has done before and that's not an easy thing to do after his previous brilliance.