Very Long Engagement (R) 7.5

A Very Long Engagement (2004) Un long dimanche de fiançailles (original title): Tells the story of a young woman's relentless search for her fiancé, who has disappeared from the trenches of the Somme during World War One. (7.7) 

Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Writers: Sébastien Japrisot (novel), Jean-Pierre Jeunet (story)
Stars: Audrey Tautou, Gaspard Ulliel and Jodie Foster
Language: French (w/ English subtitles)

In this movie, the young woman, Mathilde, almost superstitiously believes that her fiance is still alive, contrary to all the reports and evidence. The story is told with alternating sequences of what happened in the trenches during the war, her relentless pursuit of the truth, and the flashbacks to their romance before he was sent to the front lines. Beautifully done period pieces, costumes, sets, and specially the reenactments of the brutality of war. The cinematography is superb with great use of color to make different periods/segments contrast. The detective story by itself is sufficient to make a good movie, but you add the other parts and it becomes a great story. Good acting; and the subtle use of humor in the right places was great. But somehow, at least for me, the movie did not pull enough of heart-strings as it should/could have. Nevertheless, a great movie. My Rating: 7.5