Amelie (A- or 3.5/4 stars)
An innocent & naive girl decides to help those around her in 'Amelie', directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet. But after consuming herself with these escapades, she finds out that she's disregarded her own life. Can she become aggressive, take control of matters & go after the love of her life? Or will she be content to sit in the background; waiting for someone to fall into her lap? 'Amelie' tells a wonderful little French story; but its messages are also universal. Full of quirks, wit, sweetness & striking visuals, 'Amelie', anchored by the enchanting, sprightly Audrey Tatou, tells a tale that should not be missed.
Because her emotionally-distant father mistakenly thinks she was born with a heart defect, Amelie has had an extremely guarded youth; having little-to-no contact with humanity. Now older, and a dreamer of love & beauty, Amelie moves to one of the most beautiful cities in the world (Paris) to be a cafe waitress. Still, though, she leads a sheltered life; going home every night to a small, lonely apartment. She has no friends, no boyfriends, & little purpose in life. However, luck changes for her when she finds a box of old photos & toys in a hidden section of her apartment. After figuring out who the owner of said box is (leading an old man to reconcile with his son), she decides to devote her life to the people immediately surrounding her.
Those she helps include her father. He's obsessed with his garden-gnome; Amelie steals it, takes photos of it in diff't places; trying to give her dad the clue that he should act upon his desire to travel. She makes a female neighbor feel better by writing a fake, old, recently found love letter from her dead husband. She also helps a man with brittle bones, a disgruntled cafe customer (Dominique Pinon), a writer, a hypochondriac, a man who isn't over his ex-girlfriends, & a man named Nino Quincampoix (Mathieu Kassovitz). If she were ever to summon enough courage to speak to him face-to-face, they'd find that they were soul mates.
One of my favorite segments involves her trying to help an elderly neighbor (Serge Merlin) who insists on re-painting Renoirs. Having gazed out his window for some 20 yrs. (never leaving his apartment.), she refers to him as the 'Glass Man'. What happens to him in the end is very touching; and in line with one of the film's big themes: Voyeurism. It's what Amelie does for the entire movie. The film's style of quick editing & odd cinematography allows Amelie (and others) to constantly be watching, observing; reacting to 'other' people. It's how she gets to know Nino, etc. How 'we' get to know these characters are through Amelie's tongue-in-cheek voice-overs; they're so much fun to listen to. And speaking of aspects like editing & cinematography, they're simply brilliant. Bright, colorful & vivavious. The filming process of her actions; who she chooses to help, how she devises her strategems (dropping clues, sending anonymous messages) is superb.
Watching 'Amelie' is a rich, artistic experience. Audrey Tatou depicts her as shy, inward, sympathetic, but eventually brave, energetic ... & even a bit mischievous. Watching her evolution (her maturation process) is wonderful. Kassovitz is great as her love interest, Nino. They're 2 of a kind; shy, but adamant to pursue this relationship. And you hope that they get together in the end. All secondary/supporting characters are great, as well. 'Amelie' works because it is very involving. It's fantastical, odd (photographs move & talk), creative, & charming. The art direction is gorgeous (depicting an uber-clean, stylized Paris). The score is wonderful. The film goes on a bit long & verges on "too-cute" at points. But overall, 'Amelie' is a great addition to French cinema & cinema in general.
Because her emotionally-distant father mistakenly thinks she was born with a heart defect, Amelie has had an extremely guarded youth; having little-to-no contact with humanity. Now older, and a dreamer of love & beauty, Amelie moves to one of the most beautiful cities in the world (Paris) to be a cafe waitress. Still, though, she leads a sheltered life; going home every night to a small, lonely apartment. She has no friends, no boyfriends, & little purpose in life. However, luck changes for her when she finds a box of old photos & toys in a hidden section of her apartment. After figuring out who the owner of said box is (leading an old man to reconcile with his son), she decides to devote her life to the people immediately surrounding her.
Those she helps include her father. He's obsessed with his garden-gnome; Amelie steals it, takes photos of it in diff't places; trying to give her dad the clue that he should act upon his desire to travel. She makes a female neighbor feel better by writing a fake, old, recently found love letter from her dead husband. She also helps a man with brittle bones, a disgruntled cafe customer (Dominique Pinon), a writer, a hypochondriac, a man who isn't over his ex-girlfriends, & a man named Nino Quincampoix (Mathieu Kassovitz). If she were ever to summon enough courage to speak to him face-to-face, they'd find that they were soul mates.
One of my favorite segments involves her trying to help an elderly neighbor (Serge Merlin) who insists on re-painting Renoirs. Having gazed out his window for some 20 yrs. (never leaving his apartment.), she refers to him as the 'Glass Man'. What happens to him in the end is very touching; and in line with one of the film's big themes: Voyeurism. It's what Amelie does for the entire movie. The film's style of quick editing & odd cinematography allows Amelie (and others) to constantly be watching, observing; reacting to 'other' people. It's how she gets to know Nino, etc. How 'we' get to know these characters are through Amelie's tongue-in-cheek voice-overs; they're so much fun to listen to. And speaking of aspects like editing & cinematography, they're simply brilliant. Bright, colorful & vivavious. The filming process of her actions; who she chooses to help, how she devises her strategems (dropping clues, sending anonymous messages) is superb.
Watching 'Amelie' is a rich, artistic experience. Audrey Tatou depicts her as shy, inward, sympathetic, but eventually brave, energetic ... & even a bit mischievous. Watching her evolution (her maturation process) is wonderful. Kassovitz is great as her love interest, Nino. They're 2 of a kind; shy, but adamant to pursue this relationship. And you hope that they get together in the end. All secondary/supporting characters are great, as well. 'Amelie' works because it is very involving. It's fantastical, odd (photographs move & talk), creative, & charming. The art direction is gorgeous (depicting an uber-clean, stylized Paris). The score is wonderful. The film goes on a bit long & verges on "too-cute" at points. But overall, 'Amelie' is a great addition to French cinema & cinema in general.