Overview
A poignant exploration of love and loss amidst the horrors of war.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Brutal
- melancholic
- poetic
- whimsical
- reflective evening
- historical drama night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a well-crafted, visually arresting, emotionally powerful historical romance with a touch of whimsy, while some found its stylized characters emotionally distant.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Jean-Pierre Jeunet frames Mathilde's investigation and the Somme battlefield through richly designed, poetic imagery with touches of whimsy.
Mathilde methodically questions witnesses and traces scattered accounts to determine what happened to Manech.
Mathilde's search is driven by her refusal to surrender her bond with Manech despite conflicting reports and wartime absence.
The soldiers' punishment in no man's land and the film's attention to their families expose the human cost of military discipline.
Films like A Very Long Engagement, and why
Joyeux Noël
shared world war i setting, romantic devotion, antiwar tragedy, and richly stylized visual storytelling
The English Patient
shared period romance, wartime separation, emotional investigation, and bittersweet dramatic tone
The Shape of Water
shared poetic visual style, tragic love story, historical conflict, and whimsical melancholy
The City of Lost Children
shared french historical setting, intricate mystery structure, and emotionally driven search for a missing loved one
Movie Details
- Director
- Jean-Pierre Jeunet
- Release Date
- 2004-10-27
- Runtime
- 133 min
- Rating
- 7.3 / 10 (1375)
Cast
- Audrey Tautou
- Gaspard Ulliel
- Dominique Pinon
- Chantal Neuwirth
- André Dussollier
- Ticky Holgado
- Marion Cotillard
- Dominique Bettenfeld
- Jodie Foster
- Jean-Pierre Darroussin
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is A Very Long Engagement about?
- A determined young French woman investigates the disappearance of her fiancé amid the cruelty and chaos of the First World War.
- What is A Very Long Engagement like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of A Very Long Engagement as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is A Very Long Engagement violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in A Very Long Engagement as brutal.
- What did critics think of A Very Long Engagement?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a well-crafted, visually arresting, emotionally powerful historical romance with a touch of whimsy, while some found its stylized characters emotionally distant.
- Which films are like A Very Long Engagement?
- Films with a similar feel include Joyeux Noël, The English Patient, The Shape of Water, and The City of Lost Children.
- How long is A Very Long Engagement?
- A Very Long Engagement runs 133 minutes.
- Where can I watch A Very Long Engagement?
- In United States, A Very Long Engagement is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
