This is a story seen through the eyes of Mathilde(Tautou), a girl with a limping leg. Her fiancé has gone to the war (WWI), and never came back. She was told that he was executed from self-mutilation, but since nobody actually SAW him died, she believes that he's still alive, and she's determined to find out what exactly happened.
Don't expect this to be a love story from start to finish; most of the movie actually takes place on the battlefield. It takes us through the horror and devastation of war and showed us nothing but greed, vengeance and death.
There's a glimpse of hope though. I love it that no matter how gloomy and death infested the story was, there was always still a hint of light through Mathilde's eyes. She never gave up hope, and stubbornly believes that her true love is somewhere out there, waiting for her.
The cinematography and music score was amazing, just like "Amélie". However, I wish that there were more screen times between the two main characters. Although there were a lot of flashbacks from time to time, it was not enough to let us feel the passion between the two. I was moved because of Mathilde's determined, almost blind faith to find her fiancé, but not because of their love for each other. The story was not told as a love story, but as a mystery to be solved.
Oh, almost forgot. It was really surprising that Jodie Foster was in the movie! I didn't know that she speaks French fluently...wow.
Overall, the movie ran a little long and slow for my taste, but the ending. .. Can't tell you much about the ending, but it's so happy yet so sad and beautiful that it's almost... perfect.
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