amélie (2001)

by zEke

There are movies that should be prescribed to cheer people up and amélie is one of those. It is because, if you are able to overcome the obvious cheesy side of the subject, it will let you with an optimistic feeling that will make you want to do something nice for someone without expecting anything in exchange, including yourself, for, at least, thirty seven minutes. And everyone knows that thirty seven minutes are better than thirteen, or even nothing. Once the feeling is gone, you might need to watch the movie again, although the length of the contentment is not guaranteed to be the same. Sometimes more, sometimes (the most) less.

Amélie Poulain (Audrey Tautou) is a young Parisian waitress that has grown up away from other children, isolated by her overprotective parents. Her life changes forever when the day Princess Diana died in a car accident she finds an old metal little box full of children memorabilia. She decides then not only to find its owner but to devote her life to make other people’s life happier from then on if he is touched by her gesture. Otherwise, she will just keep living her simple and unadventurous life.

Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s fourth feature film is definitely more optimistic than his previous ones, and shows him capable to feel comfortable within a genre complete opposite to what he had done before. The surrealistic delicatessen (1991), the fantastic the city of the lost children (1995), and the mediocre alien: resurrection (1997) have in common their darkness. Darkness that he is able to substitute by a colorful atmosphere when telling us the story of smiley Amélie Poulain. Nevertheless, his trade marks and his friend Dominique Pinon, the ugly brother of Daniel Craig, are still there. Wide angles, elaborate camera movement, and his particular talent for extracting music from inanimate objects that surround us are this time at this peculiar love story disposal. The script, he signs again with his collaborator Guillaume Laurant, and despite it gets a little tired towards the end, when one is already able to figure out all its tricks, it is certainly able to grip you with its fresh start.

But, to talk about amélie is to talk also about Audrey Tatou and Yann Tiersen. The latter composed one of the most suited soundtracks I have ever listened to. The former has lived under the shadow of her character ever since. Right up to the point that when she has been on screen ever since there is always someone around saying her name. Amélie, I mean. The rest of the cast, full of actors with funny looking faces, is a good compliment to Tatou’s lovely performance.

This is probably a movie you have already seen. Otherwise, a movie that if you are able to overcome the smell of cheese, will certainly have an impact on the way you value what other people do for you. In case you are not, you will be at least left with the unarguable good spirit of the movie.

For the deadhours of those who think life is boring.

official site | imdb

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