Cotillard

A Very Long Engagement
$19.98
A bizarre mix indeed but, believe it or not, it's a pretty apt description of this very odd but quite brilliant film.

First off, you get the most realistic depiction of what war must be like since "Saving Private Ryan", only this time the scene is the trenches in the Somme in 1917... so meticulously recreated, believably presented and deeply shocking that it will leave you stunned and drained by the time you've got through the first section of the film.

But then things become very different as director Jean-Pierre Jeunet and lead actress Audrey Tautou take very distinct aspects of their comic classic, "Amelie", and rework them into a much "darker" mix involving a charmingly poignant love story and an extremely complex and, in the end, pretty unbelievable detective story, centred on the fate of five men sentenced to almost certain death for self-mutilation in the trenches. Tautou plays a tougher but actually similarly sweet & quirky character to Amelie, and Jeunet uses a number of the same directing techniques that made "Amelie" such unconventional but fascinating viewing - flash backs, unusual camera angles, fast scene cutting, bizarre events, and intriguingly odd characters - right down to a secret box that holds the key to a mystery.

And, like "Amelie", the dialogue is in French and its delivery is fast, meaning that if you're trying to follow it with English sub-titles you're quite likely to get lost at key points. None of which sounds too promising. But no matter, because the detective story element of the film is fairly predictable, the d���nouement to the love story holds no surprises and, their not why the film fully deserves a five star rating.

Why it does is because Jeunet is such a brilliant director and, as a result, the film is stuffed full with superb cinemaphotograhy, first class acting, wonderful scene-setting and, above all, a "pace" that holds your attention throughout and a "style" that makes for, at times, quite beautiful viewing... until, that is, you're plunged back into his equally brilliant vision of what life was actually like in the mud, squalor and blood of the trenches.

Horrific, charming, wholly believable and pretty unbelievable, all at the same time, "A Very Long Engagement" is an extremely strange film but one that will leave you marvelling at the sheer quality of its direction, photography and acting... and, as "Saving Private Ryan" achieved so successfully, it's depiction of the grim realities of war make it one of the best anti-war films that you're likely to see and one that you won't forget for a very long time.

MARION COTILLARD 16X20 COLOR PHOTO
$19.99
Marion Cotillard: At Moviestore we have an incredible library of celebrity photography covering movies, TV, music, sport and celebrity. Our exclusive photographs are professionally produced by our in-house team; we perfect bright vibrant colors or wonderful black and white tones for our photographic prints that you can display in your home or office with pride. All our images are produced from genuine original negatives and slides held in our vast library. We have been in business for 16 years so you can buy with confidence. Our guarantee: if you are not fully satisfied with any print from Moviestore we will gladly refund your money!

Love Me If You Dare (Sub) [VHS]
$29.98
this movie makes me so happy to watch. ive seen it so many times that reading the subtitles arent even an effort. the 2 main characters you fall in love with, and care about their journey into one anothers hearts. a love that is never dull, thats for sure.

Cinq Contes Musicaux Pour Les Petits
$21.98