"Amélie has a strange feeling of absolute harmony. It's a perfect moment. A soft light, a scent in the air, the quiet murmur of the city. A surge of love, an urge to help mankind overcomes her."
Since the dawn of cinema, the films most adored by critics and called "the greatest movies of all time" have been dramas. The Godfather, Schindler's List, and Goodfellas, among other (great) films, are filled with crime, anger, pain, and sadness. 2001's Amélie, directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, manages to be a truly special film while focusing mainly on the positive aspects of life and human emotion - love and happiness. Anchored by lead actress Audrey Tautou (who plays the title character) Amélie is lighthearted, funny, charming, and heartwarming all at once, and in a unique way.
Amélie Poulain is a unique 20-something girl who lives life in a different way than the rest of society. She does not have any good friends and has a very active imagination, often contemplating strange, but interesting scenarios or events in her head. One day, she finds a box of someone's old things in her apartment and decides to give them back. This event sets the rest of the plot in motion, sparking more acts of kindness. Jeunet's directorial style, along with cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel's excellent work, really accentuates the main theme of the script well - everything is so bright and full of vibrant colors, which makes the movie much more effective. If it was shot in a more traditional way, Amélie's script would lose a bit of the emotional impact it has. The cast is fantastic all-around as well, and the fact that the entire movie is in French really adds to its charm. The movie has an option for dubbed English audio, but I definitely recommend watching it with English subtitles - I have not seen it dubbed, but I really think it would lose something to be seen in that way.
Despite the overwhelming celebration of positive emotion, Amélie is, at its core, a view of the way people tend to act. Is it really a good idea to rely entirely on the well-being of others for personal happiness, or is that just us doubting that we deserve happiness for ourselves? Throughout the movie, it's really easy to see the character of Amélie grow in interesting ways, and that character development is one of the most endearing traits of the movie. It's easy to see a bit of all of us in her, and the fact that she is so instantly easy to relate to makes it relatively simple to get into the story.
In the end, the film manages to be one of the rare few that is light and heavy emotionally at the same time. Many films struggle to even fit into one end of the spectrum successfully, but Amélie manages to fit both. It's thought provoking in a way that many comedies don't even attempt to be, but uplifting in a way many heavy movies fail to be. Most of all, Amélie is thoroughly enjoyable - and worth a watch for Audrey Tautou's performance alone.
Amélie Poulain is a unique 20-something girl who lives life in a different way than the rest of society. She does not have any good friends and has a very active imagination, often contemplating strange, but interesting scenarios or events in her head. One day, she finds a box of someone's old things in her apartment and decides to give them back. This event sets the rest of the plot in motion, sparking more acts of kindness. Jeunet's directorial style, along with cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel's excellent work, really accentuates the main theme of the script well - everything is so bright and full of vibrant colors, which makes the movie much more effective. If it was shot in a more traditional way, Amélie's script would lose a bit of the emotional impact it has. The cast is fantastic all-around as well, and the fact that the entire movie is in French really adds to its charm. The movie has an option for dubbed English audio, but I definitely recommend watching it with English subtitles - I have not seen it dubbed, but I really think it would lose something to be seen in that way.
Despite the overwhelming celebration of positive emotion, Amélie is, at its core, a view of the way people tend to act. Is it really a good idea to rely entirely on the well-being of others for personal happiness, or is that just us doubting that we deserve happiness for ourselves? Throughout the movie, it's really easy to see the character of Amélie grow in interesting ways, and that character development is one of the most endearing traits of the movie. It's easy to see a bit of all of us in her, and the fact that she is so instantly easy to relate to makes it relatively simple to get into the story.
In the end, the film manages to be one of the rare few that is light and heavy emotionally at the same time. Many films struggle to even fit into one end of the spectrum successfully, but Amélie manages to fit both. It's thought provoking in a way that many comedies don't even attempt to be, but uplifting in a way many heavy movies fail to be. Most of all, Amélie is thoroughly enjoyable - and worth a watch for Audrey Tautou's performance alone.
No comments:
Post a Comment