Amelie

Rating:
Summary: Hopelessly Romantic -- Paris Never Looked Better!
Review: "Amelie" is the most wonderfully charming film I have ever seen. It's quite possible that, upon reflection, I'll consider this to be hyperbole inspired by a recent viewing, and I'll give "Amelie" a more reserved rating, like "it's one of the best films I've ever seen."

"Amelie" tells the story of the title character, played with a seeming impossible combination of daring, reserve, romanticism, idealism, and fear by Audrey Tautou. In a performance where she is speaks very little (one of her struggles is that she is an observer of life who must eventually find a way to "live" her life rather than watch it go by), Tautou nevertheless steals the show.

Well, almost, 'cause the city of Paris gives her a run for her money. If you are a fan of Paris, you will absolutely love this film. Lovingly shot, the film gives us a Paris that is so perfect that it cannot exist in real life. Colors are slightly exaggerated through clever filters and lighting, and the charming little details (such as the elaborate cursive menu on a restaurant window) are evocative of the film's romantic spirit.

One of the most original plots in years, "Amelie" tells the story of a woman who has always sat on the sidelines. As a child, Amelie was so nervous when her reserved father touched her (only during medical examinations) that her pulse raced, leading to the misdiagnosis of a hyperactive heart. As Amelie grows into womanhood, she has always sat and observed, and with a wonderful imagination has created an alternate universe for herself. This imagination carries through to her adult life, and manifests itself in delightful ways (no other character in cinema could melt away into a splash of water at the sight of her true love).

Through a discovery of a long-lost box of childhood trinkets and the sad-yet-blissful restoration to its rightful owner, Amelie resolves to bring cheer and zest to the lives of her fellow Parisians. Not content to whisk a blind man down a crowded street, narrating all the peculiar sights, sounds, and smells of daily Parisian life that he can no longer fully appreciate, Amelie takes it upon herself to be, at times, a match-maker, an instrument of revenge against a local bully (hilarious comeuppance alert!), and a re-writer of heartbreak.

One of the most entertaining subplots of the movie has to do with her father, who even though he has the freedom to travel (he is a widower, brought about through the most freakish of accidents) refuses to do so. Amelie sends his beloved garden gnome on a travel across the world, including pictures sent from abroad to her mystified dad.

Of course, a romantic spirit like Amelie's can't avoid falling in love. But when she falls in love, it can't be a straightforward seduction. Elaborate courting, hilarious misunderstandings, and a boiling-over romanticism make for a powerful conclusion to a charming film.

Note: the DVD does not have an option for listening to a dubbed English version - if you don't speak French, you're going to have to work with subtitles. I don't speak a lick of French, but listening to the dialogue in French adds something to its romance, so I think this is an improvement rather than a burden -- if I had the option, I'd still go with the subtitles (this works with other foreign films, too, like "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and "Like Water for Chocolate," where dubbing just doesn't work). The DVD has some good extras, too -- we're not talking a Peter Jackson treasure trove, but they are worth it.

Easily one of my favorite movies, and one that you will want to watch again and again.

Rating:
Summary: Deliciously Irresistible Treat
Review: Amelie is a delectable little French pastry that, I imagine, only the most hardboiled of cynics could totally dismiss. A treat for the mind, soul, eyes, & ears: delicious interiors drenched in lush colors (mostly reds and greens), a spirited soundtrack (lots of zesty accordion - but don't let you that put you off), an amusing cast of quirky characters, enchanted - and some rather disenchanted - romance, and a dash of intriguing mystery.

Young Amelie is a shy doe-like creature, the hapless offspring of two human oddities. One day she is struck with a revelation when she discovers a little boy's long lost box of treasures hidden in a secret compartment in her bathroom. Once she anonymously returns the item to the boy, who by now is middle-aged, and witnesses from afar his joy, she sets out on a quest to right the wrongs of her fellow human beings (even imagining herself as Zorro in one scene).

Along the way, Amelie stumbles across her soul mate who devotes much of his time scavenging for discarded strips of photos from photo booths and saving them in a scrapbook. Hmmmm, interesting hobby, oui? But will Amelie ever muster up the courage to actually encounter him face to face?

Ah, and what does Princess Diana's death have to do with any of these shenanigans? And who is the Glass Man and why does he paint the same thing over and over again? Who is the bald man in the red sneakers who seems obsessed with having his photo taken yet never keeps any of them? Will the nitwit with the tape recorder ever stop stalking Gina? Can anything cure Georgette's many maladies? Why would Suzanne rather eat human flesh than horse flesh? What happened to papa's garden gnome? And what on earth is hidden beneath the artichoke?

Watch this movie, folks, and find out the answers to these captivating enigmas and more. So so much more. I truly don't believe you'll be sorry.

Rating:
Summary: A gem of one million carats
Review: Amelie is a song to the life. In many aspects this film reperesents what Jupiter (Symphonie 41) of Wolfang Amadeus Mozart means in the music; the supreme freedom.
Not only it's a oda to the savoir vivre , (it's a free film) but instead it has a deep sense of no matter what; keep going and go ahead, that sooner or later you win.
It's literally impossible not fall in love with Audrey Tatou. Her beauty, charm, shyness,charisma and sympathy let you amazing.
One overwhelming script; written with a fertile imagination , it contains a lot of delightful situations and enjoyable moments. I've seen at least ten times from 2001, and it shines by itself like a diamond; it has too, a lot of countless virtues, the prodigious camera makes lovely travellings, fluid dolly, and the photograph is unique.
Besides you have other depicted characters that support the story and never let you down.
A film made and surrounded by a supreme good taste; more you can expect and much more.
Haven't you watched it? and what are you waiting for?
A must for you.
This film didn't win the Oscar. But this eternal mistake will never make this movie grows and grows with the time the supreme judge, and becomes from 2001 a true modern classic.

Rating:
Summary: Already a classic
Review: This movie deserves every compliment it gets, as in "imitation is the sincerest compliment."

The "Triplets of Belleville," for example, used much that was already in this movie. Lots of ToB faces appeared here first, as well as the high-dormered house by the railroad. ALso, the "stolen gnome" urban legends sound a bit recycled after seeing this movie.

"Amelie" just wonderful (and insanely funny), but the other reviews already said that. The only thing I have to add is that the 'orange day' baffled me up until near the end, when a scene appeared that really was orange.

Rating:
Summary: Beautiful!
Review: This is probably my favorite movie of all time. The colors that are chosen are very beautiful, it seems as if everything has a greenish tint which is really interesting. The music in this movie is incredibly beautiful, and is quite possibly the best soundtrack ever made. The movie itself is just plain fun! I usually despise romantic comedies, but if thats what you want to call this movie (it really bridges the gap between genres but..), this is an exception. The first 10 minutes are just brief character synopsis, and you will find how quirky and fun this movie is right from the start (the suicidal fish! I love it!) I'd have to say the BEST part of this movie, though, is the garden gnome! The DVD also has the original language track in Parisian French which is interesting to listen to. Such an amazing movie! I would highly recommend it to anyone open-minded enough to deal with a little bit of sex.

Rating:
Summary: 5 Marcellas
Review: No plot summaries here. Nor cast lists, nor complaints about the lack of extras. The better the film, the less I want to know about "The Making Of..." since it'll have likely been trotted out a million times already as a cheap TV schedule filler anyway.

Instead, I want to drone on at length about what I call a proper film. Few things are as pleasing as something executed with genuine flair. Something that makes you feel like you've seen something worthwhile; and yes, proud that there are people out there who can produce things like this. (If possible, have Elgar's "Nimrod" playing in the background as you read that bit.)

Does it pass The Test?

"Is it as good as Joan Cusack?"

Yes. Nearly. There can be no higher accolade.

Rating:
Summary: Amelie Poulain : The Cure to ALL of Life¿s Ills
Review: Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet and starring Audrey Tatou in the title role, "Amelie" is set in the Montmartre area of Paris. The film focuses on Amelie, the only child of Raphael and Amandine Poulain. Her father is a neurotic ex-army doctor while her mother was a teacher with all the warmth of an iceberg. Withheld from school as a child, due to her father's mistaken belief that she had a heart defect, Amelie was educated at home - initially by her mother. Amandine died when Amelie was young, however, when she broke the fall of a suicidal Canadian jumping from the tower of Notre Dame Cathedral. Her lack of contact with other children meant her only friend was a goldfish called Blubber and led to the development of quite an active imagination.

Even as an adult, Amelie amuses herself with silly questions without ever really becoming close to anyone. She regularly visits her father, Raphael - he would dearly love to travel, but is too afraid to take the first step. She works as a waitress in a café called Les Deux Moulins, a real café in Montmartre. Among her colleagues are Gina, who seems to be the closest thing to a friend Amelie has and Georgette, who runs the tabac. Georgette is quite possibly the definitive hypochondriac. One of the café's regulars is a man called Joseph - a former lover of Gina, he is an incredibly jealous and possessive character who constantly spies on her.

As the film progresses, she becomes friendly with an elderly neighbour. Commonly known as the Glass Man, his real name is Raymond Dufayel. He never leaves his apartment, and has an obsession of his own : Renoir's "Luncheon of the Boating Party". Dufayel has painted one of his own every year for the last twenty years, but he just can't get it right. One of the film's most likeable characters is Lucien, who works at the greengrocers and takes art lessons with Dufayel. Amelie, who is very fond of Lucien, doesn't really care for his boss - the obnoxious and abusive Monsieur Collignon.

Amelie's life starts to change when she finds a small box of keepsakes hidden in the wall of her bathroom - toy cars and bikes, pictures of football players and such like. Based on the box's contents, she believes that the box was hidden there in the 50s by a young boy, and decides to reunite the box with its owner. Looking for information about who lived in her apartment at that time, she starts with Madeleine Wells. An emotional wreck, her husband ran off with his secretary to South America, and was killed in a car accident there. Nico Quincampoix, however, provides the biggest reason for change. Another loner, like Amelie, he collects photos left lying around the photo booths of the city's metro and train stations. For some reason, he keeps these in a photo album - which is found by Amelie after he drops it in the street. However, she finds she has fallen for him - but like her father, she seems afraid to take the first step.

This is easily one of the most enjoyable films I've ever seen. Set in one of the world's most beautiful cities and featuring a collection of quirky and / or likeable characters, it's a film I just can't find fault with. It's filmed in French and subtitled, which might put some people off - for me, however, the subtitles actually seem to add to the film's enjoyment.

Rating:
Summary: Awfull, in the worst sense of the term... (Be Warned)
Review: Having been socially forced, compelled and co-erced to watch this silly and stupid movie on a big screen during the time it was hyped and overhyped all over the place as the last socially-praisable and utmost meli-melo-romantic dada-istic most-life-changing and hope-inspiring conceptual film ever, I would like to sincerely warn you concerning this movie.

When this movie is not ridiculously, ludicrously and senilistically plain infantile, it's just plain dumb... Well, that would be perfectly alright with me, considering everything that is out there in the world of cheap movies... The fact is neverteless that the social-case and pea-brained hero Amelie Poulain ends up frantically manipulating her entourage as a would-be-good-samaritan...

To sum it up in one word, this movie reeks just plain French, Drench, Trench, Wrench, you name it, and that from manipulative acts, vindictive social scapegoating, down to shameless interference in the private sphere and life of individuals...

So be warned, and don't let the other critics fool you to easily, this movie is just plain awfull, don't waste either time, money and/or ressources onto this smelly little piece of perfumed social poodle-doo. It just reminds one of how Frank Zappa once put it: "There's No Hell, There's Only France." This statement never rang truer as when watching "Le Merveilleux Destin D'Amelie Poulain." Be warned.

Rating:
Summary: a movie for everyone who loves movies...
Review: ...And just about everyone else, too. Whatever baggage you may or may not have concerning foreign films- drop it now. Amelie is perhaps the most exuberant, joyful movie to pop along in ages. Lovingly made: the acting, the shot composition, the editing and the (very, very) subtle use of CGI... Wide screen is a must for this one, as much of the film's beauty is chopped out in the VHS release (such as one scene, where Amelie is sitting in front of the TV in a room that's nigh entirely red- save for a small blue lamp to her left. It's a tiny detail, but it fleshes out everything wonderfully- closed captioned: the lamp is gone). Little things, definitely. But then, this is a movie that is all about the tiny details in life...

Yes, it's a love story, and as sweet as they come. No need to further belabor that aspect or give away any moments. But you will be surprised many times over. You will laugh at loud. And you will want to watch it again and again, especially with someone you can touch close by. And if you don't have someone- this movie may provide the much-needed impetus to go to France and start turning (not to mention skipping) stones (the shots of the city are marvellous).

Then there's Audrey Tautou, whose expressive face is the axis of the movie. Amelie holds your gaze like a naissance de millennium Audrey Hepburn. She has an elfin grace that is utterly sublime and unique. When Amelie smiles, you smile with her.

I could gush about this for a long, long time. Rarely do I see a film that brings out the child-like optimist and romantic in me- I tend to go for the unflinching, unredemptive view of humanity (Requiem for a dream and Happiness, are good examples).

If you have seen it, then you know why you should get this one- movies like this simply aren't made that often. Especially with such skill and flair (this was, I believe, Jeunet's first film sans Caro- they did the city of lost children and delicatessen, both great films!- and the cinematographer's first feature period, though I may be mistaken...) If you haven't seen it- trust a stranger. This film will add something light and hopeful and precious to your life.

Rating:
Summary: Horrible
Review: This movie should never be watched by anyone. It is just that bad. This movie is to a straight man as a high pitched shrill siren is to an eardrum.

Unless sending it to a mortal enemy, don't. Just don't. Buying this only encourages people who make crap like this.