Amelie

Rating:
Summary: Time Capsule
Review:

...Ok. So we decided to watch "Amelie" in one of those multiplex theaters. First thing: the cinema was almost empty, the sound was perfect, the popcorn was very tasty, there were plenty of parking spaces at the mall, and I don't know about the subtitles, since the movie was in french. And it was all the way PERFECT. I'm sorry all of you critics out there, but this is probably the best movie of the last 5 years, maybe. Direction, cast, acting, light, music, EVERYTHING. Buy this DVD. Buy two. And put one on your time capsule. This is forever.

Rating:
Summary: she could change your life too...
Review: finally, we a valentine for everyone both young and old. audrey tautou is simply charming in the title role playing a young waitress who literally has a unique effect on everyone she comes in contact with. amelie laces giddy, quirky humor with a completely charming story which could show us that you can make great change if you have the heart and desire for change in the world around you. while the film at times does have the quirks and cutesy style of a french ally mcbeal, this film is much more sincere and heartfelt. people have said that french films have a unique way of looking at love and life so perhaps this is a good starting point for all those who have a deep interest in terrific international cinema or perhaps atleast a pivotal point for those who have avoided the artsy films at your multiplex for so long. indeed, audrey tautou and amelie have put a great big smile on my face and this will go into my dvd collection once available.

Rating:
Summary: Giant raspberry swoon of a picture
Review: Jean-Pierre Jeunet's giant raspberry swoon of a picture is very much a film of and for fantasists - it's no surprise that our heroine, lonely waitress and professional do-gooder Amelie (Tautou), finds her belated match in a fellow lost soul (Kassovitz) working amidst the screams and shrieks of Montmartre's porno shops and ghost trains. In the film's fantasy sequences - where, amongst other effects, the waitress melts into a pool of cold water upon seeing her beloved - Jeunet demonstrates it's not too far from Amelie to Ally McBeal; but where the American lawyer always seems trapped by her own cuteness, determined to be winsome at all legal costs, Amelie's ever-spiralling gift for the imaginative proves something of a liberation as the film goes off in every direction, the camera charging through the heart of Paris and ending up in a district here given a real - if ethnically uncertain - sense of community, with all the fraught and tangled relationships that word implies.

The film takes the sensual over the sensational, though, and is more interested in the world's life-giving petites morts than in death itself. This is a film of simple pleasures (sweets being made, hands being dipped into bags of grain, the smell of a lover's hair, a box of trinkets) which keeps the grand tragedy of Princess Diana's death in the French capital strictly as a backdrop. I was worried how this real-life event - with its treacly potential for sentimentality - might be filtered into the plot, but it turns out that Amelie is more interested in the pleasant sidebars than the press's wailing headlines, and more affected by the quiet, unseen tragedies happening to those we personally know than by those celebrity deaths trumpeted across the news - these latter, Jeunet argues, are the type we can do nothing about.

There's still something in the plot about cameras and accidents. An early joke has Amelie take revenge on the neighbour who tells her her automatic flash was responsible for a minor car crash, which feeds into the film's best gag about the melancholic-looking man (Rufus) whose torn photos litter the floors of Photo-Me booths the whole Metro over. But this seems part of Amelie's discourse on art and life, how we can take others' personally-specific creations to our own hearts; at one point, the heroine watches a drab Russian military drama whose subtitles keep referring back to her own life. Certainly this is a movie about a woman who has to put some kind of distance between herself and her lover to maintain any kind of a relationship. This is a rather fun notion of romance as game-playing, and when our two star-crossed lovers finally kiss, it seems apt they make for predestined targets on the other's face, trying to sink one another's emotional Battleships. (In a film of such simple pleasures, Tautou and Kassovitz's sole love scene is suitably simple - and pleasurable.)

Jeunet is here playing astute political games, delivering a feel-good movie which both assures the Right that there is still good in the world (even if it has to be brought about by exploited waitresses and sex shop workers) and suggests to the Left the need for more radical changes, like those brought about by Amelie, to improve a society. Tautou increases in charm and presence as the film goes on. With her stylish layered bob and big shoes, she first appears a little too girlish and model-like, as if she's just stomped off the Paris Fashion Week catwalk and out into the periphery. Eventually, though, the casting begins to make perfect sense, particularly in those scenes where the happy-maker's broken heart leaves her impossibly fragile: the noise you can hear in the cinema is that of an entire audience falling for one woman.

Rating:
Summary: Just fantastic
Review: Honestly, one of the best movies that I have ever seen. Fantastic direction, beautiful cinematography, the acting, the music....ah! Everything was perfect.

Some may not like this film, saying that it paints a Paris that is frightfully and unbelievably romantic. I say, so what? I hate to use trite phrases like "luminous" and "feel-good" to describe movies, but I can't help it.

Stunning. Very funny. Sorry this isn't a more helpful review, but it's difficult to give specifics on a film that relies so heavily on all of its parts working together. So many movies today rely on a strong story, or scenery, or just one main star, or even just one director. Amelie is quite different: it succeeds because nothing is given more importance than any other thing. Without the soundtrack, it would have failed. Without Kassovitz's puppyeyes, it would have failed. Without the creme brulee, it would have failed.

Just watch it. Love it. Then buy it to watch again.

Rating:
Summary: Do you like quirky fun?
Review: Audrey Tautou is totally irresistible and irrepressible in this extraordinarily funny French film. Comparisons with "Run, Lola, Run" are in order, and anyone who enjoyed "Run" must not miss this movie. No surprise here that it has received a nomination for Best Foreign Film. The plot is full of delightfully unanticipated twists and turns, and stellar contributions from an all-around excellent cast keep the wheels turning without a single lull.

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Summary: Let Amélie bring magic into your life!
Review: Amélie was the most charming, unusual and totally unexpected film I`ve ever had the pleasure to see. It features a quirky cast of characters, beautiful and unusual cinematography, a magnificent soundtrack, and an original, magical story.

The film begins with a random, startling voiceover: "On September 3, 1973, at 6:28 pm and 32 seconds, a bluebottle fly capable of 14 670 wingbeats a minute lands on St. Vincent Street, Montmartre." We are introduced to the other characters by a similar stringing together of tidbits of information that form a giddy bubbly necklace: the cat enjoys listening to children's stories, Joseph, spurned lover of Suzanne, owner of the Two Windmills and ex-circus rider, likes popping bubble wrap, Raphael Poulain likes stripping wallpaper but dislikes clingy swim trunks, Nino Quincompoix, employee at the Porno Palace who collects torn up photographs from under photo booths, Lucien, grocer's assistant who is slow with words but quick with smiles, Monsieur Dufayel, an old man born with brittle bones who shields himself from reality in his padded apartment, painting the same Renoir over and over again.

We see Amélie grow up before our very eyes, raised by a strict father who never hugs or touches Amélie, who yearns for contact. Flash forward to the future: Amélie is now a waitress at the Two Windmills Café in Montmartre. Her wide brown eyes and mischievous smile lend her a pixyish air. We could all learn a thing or two from Amélie: smile frequently, and do something nice for someone to brighten their day. Her life changes forever on the morning that Princess Di's death was announced to the world, and the rest of the film follows her adventures. Amélie's world is one of magic, one where pictures talk and objects come to life.

The cinematography is equally jarring, switching from handheld camera to vintage footage to pieced-together photos to animations and back. The film has a sepia wash that gives it an aged appearance, adding to its charm. The soundtrack, composed by Breton Yann Tiersen, is quintessentially Parisian: accordion waltzes accompanied by the rather unexpected sound of typewriters and music boxes. Piano plays a central role in the scoring, and some of the songs are vintage oldies, record hiss and all, others have gypsy flair. Buy the soundtrack if you have a chance, you will not regret it. It is a melodious blend of classical, Parisian bistro and film music that will stay in your ears for days.

If you're looking for a break from everyday drudgery, look no further than Amélie. Her magic is contagious and will brighten your day.

Rating:
Summary: A charming romantic confection
Review: "Amelie," directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, tells the story of a waitress who engages in an extended, game-like romantic flirtation with an eccentric young man while at the same time playfully meddling in the lives of the people around her. The film is a romantic comedy with quirky accents of fantasy and absurdism.

As the title character, the lovely Audrey Tatou is a delight. Amelie is a mischievous woman-child, both sexy and oddly innocent. Tatou is excellently complemented by Mathieu Kassovitz, who plays Nino, Amelie's romantic interest. Kassovitz brings an appealing, dreamy vulnerability to his oddball role. The rest of the cast brings a lot of life to their roles: Amelie's gloomy father, a brittle-boned artist known as the "Glass Man," a hypochondriac tobacco salesgirl, and others.

Overall, this is a fun, lighthearted film. I was intrigued by the recurring motif of England's Princess Diana, who functions as a sort of patron saint throughout the film. The film is filled with many clever visual flourishes: pictures that come to life and talk, etc. If you're in the mood for some sexy, silly, imaginative romance, go for "Amelie."

Rating:
Summary: Best movie of 2001
Review: Amelie takes us to the Montmartre district of Paris to meet Amelie Poulain (Audrey Tautou). She has had an uncomfortable childhood - her mother died when she was six and her father only seemed interested in checking her heart. By the age of 22, she is a waitress, and seems to be going nowhere until a certain discovery changes her life forever.
This is one of 2001's best-received films, and it's very easy to see why. It's a delightful trip through the life of one of the most intriguing characters to appear on screen ...
Director Jean-Pierre Jeunet (Alien Resurrection) has created a fictional Paris, much like Baz Luhrmann's in Moulin Rouge, except not as over-the-top. Amelie, however, concentrates much more on substance than style. In fact, the special effects fit in very well. One of the film's real assets is its voiceover, which allows us to learn something about each of the characters whilst never taking itself seriously, thus providing us with some unusual comic relief. But there are many other comic moments sprinkled throughout the script - all of which are ingenious, original and very funny.
A number of scenes are amazing, and some of the still shots, especially those of Amelie herself, really are a sight to behold. The editing and camerawork are deliberately overworked - it's an approach, which generally pays off, even if it occasionally confuses. Yann Tiersen's upbeat and slightly melodramatic score successfully blends in with the mood of the film.
Unsurprisingly, lead actress Audrey Tautou, who bears more than a passing resemblance to another famous Audrey (Hepburn), leaves the longest lasting impression. She is luminous, charismatic, and successfully allows us to believe in all sides of Amelie's character - the reclusive, the likeable and the mischievous. Her BAFTA nomination was well deserved.
Amelie's success doesn't revolve completely around Tautou, however. Mathieu Kassovitz, who plays Amelie's eventual love interest, Nino, also excels in his role, and the rest of the cast successfully fall into place, with especially notable displays from Serge Merlin and Rufus. Every major character in the film has a back-story, and Jeunet aims to ensure that we develop sympathy or hatred for them, depending on their characteristics. And we do.
Amelie's only fault (and this is a minor one) is that the early parts of the film perhaps aren't as emotionally involving as they could be. Also, the sentimentality and foreign nature may put off some people. But who cares? Most go to the cinema for feel-good experiences, and it's doubtful that you will find a better one ... Capable of holding your attention throughout while simultaneously making you laugh (or even cry), Amelie makes for a perfect night out at the cinema. --This review refers to the theatrical release.

Rating:
Summary: "Amelie" a foriegn film treasure! Not to be missed!
Review: Just as "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" cast its foriegn film spell over popular movie audiences and the Oscars last year, "Amelie" seems the rightful heir to the throne this year. Drawing from memorable characters, a well-told story, and the unforseen magic that becomes the essence of life, "Amelie" is a savory cinematic joy!

Amelie is an atypical girl living a typical life. She loves the little details and magic in life the most, like cracking creme boulea' with a spoon, and watching peoples' faces in the dark of a movie theater. When she finds a rusty tin box hidden behind a tile in her bathroom filled with lost treasures of childhood, Amelie sets out to find its owner which sparks a series of events in which Amerlie becomes a "do-gooder" to those who deserve it, and a "bad-dooer" to those who've earned it. Eventually, Amelie must also face her own personal wishes and desires or loose them forever.

We are enthralled, we're entertained, we laugh, we smile, and by the end of the film, we learn to ever-important lesson that making yourself happy in life is the next best thing when helping others appreciate the magic of life. The current "seeping in" of foriegn films into mainstream cinema could not be better represented than by "Amelie", a true treasure of foriegn cinema that's bound, not only for Oscar glory, but to capture the hearts of American audiences as well. Do not miss "Amelie"!

Rating:
Summary: Quirky Amélie is wonderfully charming
Review: With her regular job waiting tables in a small café, Amélie doesn't have much money. But, it is her creative imagination that makes her so wealthy! She uses her wonderful mind to successfully clean up the mess in other people's lives. When her widowed father refuses to travel and see the world, choosing to stay and tend his garden with his prized plaster Garden Gnome, Amélie takes action. She abducts the gnome and sends it around the world, having its picture taken in front of the world sights her Dad will never see. The photos are all sent to the father. Eventually, it becomes clear that Amélie's life itself is in need of a bit of cleaning... She needs a loving relationship. But, who could ever love the creative mind of Amélie?

This French film is totally charming and a celebration of a beautiful mind. Wonderfully directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, it shows a world that only Amélie herself could dream up. The overall characterization of the young girl has much in common with Charlie Chaplin's Little Tramp, both sharing scheming smiles and a wink with the viewer. The film also shares a wonderful musical score that makes the journey all the more enjoyable. Amélie is an angel of sorts. And this film follows her around to see how she effects other lives.