Film Review: Amelie

Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet

A French language film that was released in 2001, it instantly became a cult hit with its offbeat comedy and incredibly sweet natured characters and plot. The film was set in Montmarte and instantly made it a popular place for people to live and visit with its whimsical view of Parisian life. It was nominated for five Academy Awards in 2002.

The story follows Amelie (Audrey Tautou) as she raised by slightly odd parents to her life as an adult living along in a flat in Paris. She works with some eccentric people in a local bar but at her flat finds an old box filled with children's toys so sets out to give it back to its owner. She sees the joy it brings the man to give it back to him so she sets her mission out to help those people around her and crosses paths with Nino (Mathieu Kassovitz) who collects photographs from photo booths who she instantly likes.

Amelie (Audrey Tautou)

The film features an incredibly offbeat opening 15mins with Amelie as a child introducing many characters by the random things in their lives that they like and dislike. It sets its stall out early as a slightly random yet quirky comedy. Based on the movies odd comedy and incredibly sweet nature it has made it a polarizing film amongst viewers, its generally best to set aside all convention and just immerse yourself in a different world set in a place you know well.

Audrey Tautou is excellent as the lead Amelie with her trend setting hairstyle and slightly naive and optimistic view of the world. There isn't that many films that have such a big influence on popular culture as this film did in France upon its release. The film slowly won me over in the first hour but the second half of the film does play slightly long and is a bit overplayed in Amelie' attempts to win the heart of Nino in a slightly bizarre manner.

3/4 sweet and funny but often lacks substance