Average Rating: 
Rating:  - An instant classic.
Amelie (Audrey Tautou) is looking for love, she`s a beautiful unique young woman with the heart of gold and maybe she perhaps looking for the meaning of life in general. We see her as a young girl, when she lost her mother and her father thinks, she has heart problems. Now as a young woman, she`s a waitress in centrail Paris. She interacts curiously with her neighbors and costumers, as well as a mysterious Photomation (Mathieu Kassovitz), an image collector and one of his even more mysterious photo subjects. Little by Little, Amelie realizes that the way to happiness (and yet more subtle humor) requires here to take her own initiative and reach out to others.Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet (Alien Resurrection, The City of the Lost Children) shows visual style and plot to make this one of the most beautiful films of 2001 and also one of the year`s best films. Beautiful Performance by Tautou and also Fine Performances by Kassovitz, Rufus, Dominique Pinon and Maurice Benichou. 5 Oscar Nominations-Including:Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Foreign Language Film, Best Sound and Best Original Screenplay. The Film has Win Four Casar Awards including:Best Director, Best Film, Best Music and Best Production Design. It was also Nominated for Best Actress:Audrey Tautou, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Editing, Best Sound, Best Supporting Actor:Jamel Debbouze also actor:Refus, Best Supporting Actress:Isabelle Nanty and Best Original Screenplay. The film also Win for the Independent Spirit Awards for Best Foreign Film. Do Not Miss This Instant Classic. Written by Guillaume Laurant and Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Super 35. Grade:A+.
Rating: - Creative, charming, happy -- not your average French film
This is one of the most touching films I've watched in a while. Amelie is a unique kid, relying on imagination to fill in the gaps left by not having schoolmates or friends (she's homeschooled). Flash forward to her early 20s -- a time when she's living a quiet life, keeping to herself. You eventually learn that she's a bit lonely.Then one evening she by chance discovers a box hidden behind the wall of her apartment. Amelie undertakes the task of reuniting the box with its original owner, thinking 'If this works, I will make it my mission to bring other people happiness'. Well, it does work and she begins to step into other people's lives and point them in the direction of happiness. However, she is so caught up in others she barely thinks of how her life could be happier. And then she sees a man collecting discarded photo booth photos. She is very intrigued. The second time she sees him, she ends up in possession of his photo album of rejected photos. This is the beginning of a lovely and humorous story of the attraction of the two of them, and everything they do (and don't do) to see each other and for him to reclaim his album. While it's possible to look at this film and see the loneliness and hopelessness of some of the characters (Amelie's co-workers are so resigned to their lives she has to metaphorically kick them to make them realize they are live creatures with emotions), this film also works to show that a little bit of ingenuity and motivation can forever change a life. Amelie also shows that if one person makes an effort, it will have a ripple effect and more than one person will reap the benefit if a single person is shown happiness. Jeunet, half of the creative team for Delicatessen and City of Lost Children, created a intelligently creative, beautiful, uplifting film. This is easily the funniest, sweetest and happiest French film released in I don't know how long. Leaving the theater, I heard someone say "Everyone should be required to see this film." I agree completely.
Rating: - the Amelie effect will change your life
In Europe, this flick inspired something called "the Amelie effect" --- after seeing this film, moviegoers started doing kind things in their daily lives. Amelie is a coffeehouse waitress in Paris who one day discovers a box of trinkets in her apartment left by a young boy over 40 years ago. She is determined to find the owner and return it to him anonymously. If he is happy to have it, she will spend the rest of her life making people happy.To this end, she incorporates the help of a neighbor who is stricken with brittle bone disease and never leaves his house. He also advises her not to be so taken in by strangers that she ignores her own life --- the depression of her widowed father and her own lack of a significant other. This subtitled movie is wonderfully filmed using animation and special effects to help carry the plot. There are many layers and subtexts in this film as different characters around Amelie are brought into focus. It is a romance, comedy and drama all at once! Audrey Tatou is a gifted newcomer -- I can't wait to see her in future films!
|
