What is it about things to do with France at the moment. Less than a month after Moulin Rouge comes another visual treat for all fans of Paris.
Nigel Bell Take a sharp intake of breath and don't be scared. This is a French film with subtitles which I urge you to see. Because of the above there's a serious chance Amelie will not be as big a hit on these shores as it should be. The good news is that as well as being shown at the Broadway the film may get into multiplex venues as well. Quite simply this movie looks good, is uplifting and yet bizarre at the same time. It focuses on the life of Amelie Poulain who's sheltered upbringing forces her into a fantasy world of her own.  | | What do you mean, there's something in my coffee? |
Things don't improve when her mother dies after being squashed by a tourist who's fallen off Notre Dame. Amelie eventually leaves home and finds work as a waitress in a Parisian cafe. A chance discovery of a tin box containing toys from a mystery childhood leads to her reuniting the box with its now middle-aged owner. It's at this point that Amelie discovers her true vocation in life - to help others find love and happiness. The film follows the extreme, bizarre lengths she goes to to in fulfilling this aim. All is well until the inevitable - Amelie meets a man and falls in love herself. Can the woman who has helped so many help herself?  | | Is it just me or is it really really cold in here? |
It's a simple enough plot. What raises this above so many other films is the strange mix of characters who pepper the plot. Each is introduced with a rapid narrative giving the characters likes and dislikes. Within twenty seconds you're fully briefed on the person, whether their role in the movie is major or not. There's a hypochondriac tobacconist, grumpy grocer, ailing artist, paranoid lover. It's an almost endless list. Eccentric is an understatement yet somehow it all works. The actors recruited by director Jeunet (also responsible for Delicatessen) have amazing faces, the beauty of Paris is outstanding. It all adds up to a visual delight which demands to be seen. On top of this there are great visual techniques including one scene where a man talks to four passport photographs of himself at the same time and another where Amelie literally dissolves into a puddle of water. It's already been a big hit in France despite criticism from some pundits that it doesn't reflect the true Paris. They say ethnic minorities aren't represented and the movie is little more than a holiday advertisement for the capital. That's far too harsh. Hundreds of thousands of French have been to see the movie, you should to. 
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