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Rating:  -
I first saw this on an international flight, probably the year it came out. I rented it for my family when I got home. Seven years later I bought it on amazon after first looking thru assorted blockbuster previously viewed and not finding it. Thanks amazon, for having this available and I got two other french films on the same purchase. Supposidly this film did not receive a French award because it was too "American". Well, they can keep their awards along with their perfume and I will keep Amelie forever.
Rating: -
I've loved the work of this director (and his earlier partner) since Delicatessen. Each of their films is uniquely visual, and Amelie is no exception. They have a flare for composition and camera movement like nothing you've ever seen. But Amalie has added to it a sweetness and whimsy that is lost in some of their earlier, darker films.
Rating: -
From director Jean-Pierre Jeunet comes the charming romantic comedy "Amelie", a film that greatly transcends it's genre. Romantic Comedies are a dime a dozen here in the States, but Jeunet has crafted a very quirky, fun and visually pleasing film that delivers comedy and romance both in spades without ever feeling cheesy or familiar.
Ameile Poulain is a shy and reserved 23 year old girl who had a rather odd childhood. Her mother was killed when a suicide jumper landed on her and father, though a good provider and kind person, never showed Amelie much affection, erroneously diagnosing her with a heart condition and having her homeshooled. Truth be told, Amelie's heart would race when her father would medically examine her, leading him to believe she had a heart condition. In reality, affection was what cause her excitement.
Fast forward to 1997. Amelie has a flat all to herself, and desires a relationship but due to bad luck in the past has all but given up on them. She works in a small cafe in town with a group of eccentric co-workers, but she goes home alone to her cat each night. Amelie is lonely, but too shy to go out and meet people. She feels it's time for a change in her life, but she feels things will happen on their own.
One morning, Amelie hears of the death of Princess Diana on television and, in shock, she drops in the cap of a perfume bottle. The cap rolls toward a tile on the lower wall and knocks it down, revealing a space inside, where a rusty box of momentos lies. She feels the need to return it to it's owner, now a middle aged man, and when he recieves it he feels so much joy that Amelie, satisfied by her good deed, goes on a mission. Do good deeds for others to bring a little happiness to their lives. However, karma does come her way when she finds an interesting scrapbook that a man leaves behind at a photo booth. Through this book, she develops an infatuation with this man. Is he the one she needs to fill the empty romantic void in her own life?
Amelie has a stylish and colorful fairytale romp, well-crafted and smart without coming across as pretentious. The colors and settings are bright and vivid, and make you long to be in the city of Paris. The film goes inside Amelie's always-daydreaming mind. The viewer enters a world where televisions, and other inanimate objects, talk to you. The pixie-like nature of Amelie, played by the beautiful Audrey Tatou, is a perfect fit for this eccentric character. The cinematography is breathtaking, bringing to mind the vivid colors and atmosphere of 'Fear & Loathing In Las Vegas", but with less acid of course. It all feels like a dream, a setting so perfect and surreal it dosen't feel realistic, but that's what cinema is about. "Amelie" is a 2 hour escape into a the title characters world with everything is serene and perfect, and it's a mighty enjoyable ride.
There's a timeless feel to "Amelie", it's a feel-good film that makes the viewer feel hopeful. The musical score by Yann Tierson fits the images like a glove and is very memorable and unique. This is one of those rare films where everything just falls into place. I highly recommend it to any fan of cinema, regardless of taste. When you invite Amelie into your world, she won't be forgotten. Like she did for the characters in the film, she might just change your life. After all, theres a little Amelie Poulain in all of us.
Rating: -
I love Amelie. It is my favorite movie of all time, and I'm a Netflix fiend to boot. She's sweet, curious, funny, utterly without self-importance, and really really pretty. It's the only movie I've willingly watched more than once. For the literati (cinemerati?) out there, who are disappointed by the movie's lack of grittiness...eat it! For a different perspective, check out the dude's review below mine, and then click on his other reviews and be prepared to see a lot of one star ratings.
Rating:  -
She's not cute, any twenty-something girl that would act in this way is clearly psychotic. I suppose we, the audience, are supposed to think she is an adorable, free-spirit type...but she's just completely insane, and should be thrown into prison.
Some of the rapid-fire comic bits were a bit funny...but VERY few. I never for a second cared about where the plot (haha...plot) was going, or about any of the "kooky" characters. I couldn't bring myself to watch this until the end. That's my definition of a one-star film.
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