Obsession (Amelie (DVD))

Member Name: Glory_FishesII

Product:	Amelie (DVD)
Date:	07/11/05 (247 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Looks pretty

Disadvantages: If any of it happened in real life then they would probably have restraining orders

If you've always thought subtitles were for poncey people who drink Sherry out of one of those small glasses. Then watch this French film and prepare to witness a naivety that reads like a child's book. A glittering and quirky childhood book.

Once upon a time there was a little girl called Amélie Poulain. She had no friends and her parents were fairly odd. Roald Dahl would have made her slightly less pretty and given her a limp or something. She grows up to be an introspective little mouse of a woman with eyes of chocolate splendour. She works in a cafe and lives alone with her father after the death of her mother.

So will a Prince rescue our heroine? Will he come knocking on her door? Will we ever understand how her hair looks so cool despite being looking like it's been hacked at with plastic scissors? All these questions and more grew in my mind as I watched this seemingly microscopic world unfold in front of the gloriously captured backdrop of Montmartre.

The visual imagery in this film is stunning. The metaphors come thick and fast. Yes it’s all very charming. The main leads are positively intoxicating especially Audrey Tautou, who has an appealing mixture of gaucheness and screen presence that is bound to get her compared to her namesake Hepburn as both women share a dark elfin charm and an ability to elude to a stronger soul. But I doubt very much that I could watch this as often as I have Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

This film is perhaps a little too charming and aware of it’s quirkiness in my opinion. The special effects and general beauty of Amelie hide a story which is essence is one of obsessions. Funny obsessions, sad obsessions, obsessions that could turn bad this film has them all.

If you like Joanne Harris books, I guarantee you will like this film as we meet French eccentric after French eccentric in a small suburban cafe, this film is so full of colour, that it sort of under plays the darkness of it all. I’m not suggesting that Amélie should end up jacking up in a back alley but it was like eating a very pretty looking cake and then realizing it has made you feel a bit sick. Maybe I shouldn’t look into things so deeply and just appreciate the aesthetics.

Good points:-

Engaging cast
Beautifully shot
Wonderful use of metaphors and imagery
Good bits of humour
Soundtrack

Bad points:-

Amélie herself can be a little twee

Film Details

Directed by

Jean-Pierre Jeunet


Writing credits:--

Guillaume Laurant and
Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Guillaume Laurant (screenplay)

Main Cast :--

Audrey Tautou as Amélie Poulain
Mathieu Kassovitz as Nino Quincampoix
Rufus as Raphaël Poulain
Serge Merlin as Raymond Dufayel
Jamel Debbouze as Lucien
Clotilde Mollet as Gina
Claire Maurier as Suzanne
Isabelle Nanty as Geogette
Dominique Pinon as Joseph
Artus de Penguern as Hipolito

Certificate : 15

Available from www.amazon.co.uk for £15.99

Summary: Hmmmmmmm.