AMELIE

2001

I wasn't familiar with the work of French director Jean-Pierre Jeunet ("Delicatessen,") so I was unprepared for his style of cutting edge cinematography used to tell a charming, hilarious story about neurotic people in weird situations. If I'm making this movie sound negative, I don't mean to. It was thoroughly enchanting and great fun... and Paris looked so good. Amelie was brought up by cold and unfeeling parents, and as a result has grown into a pretty but painfully shy neurotic. Because she can't connect with other people and develop relationships, she chooses to fantasize about the lives of her friends and strangers, and play games to manipulate them so that good things happen to them. Sort of a Mother Teresa on Prozac. That some of these "games" backfire is not surprising considering the fact that a simple "hello" from a stranger, can send Amelie over the edge. People come through Amelie's life, and we find ourselves getting involved with THEIR stories just as Amelie does. Some of these are very funny, others are moving and touching, but all are interesting. Audrey Tautou is perfect as Amelie. She's so pretty that it's almost hard to believe that she's so afraid of life and people. Ah, but that's what keeps therapists in business, isn't it?

4 Stars

NJB

Amelie is a young woman with a big heart and a tendency towards isolation. When she discovers a hidden treasure in her apartment, it marks the beginning of a journey of selflessness, compassion and finally love. About 45 minutes into this film and I thought that it was going to be the best of the year. What starts off really strong, however, eventually loses its momentum and sputters a bit before wrapping up nicely. The storytelling is refreshingly different and the entire film has this sense of magic throughout. A very good performance by Audrey Tautou in the lead role. While I have a bit of an issue with the pacing and the somewhat schizophrenic styling, there is a lot of smart comedy and a truly compelling story that makes AMELIE a winner.

4.5 Stars

CDF