Anyone who has previously seen a film of acclaimed French director Jean-Pierre Jeunet should not be at all surprised with the utterly resplendent, outstanding imagination that fills every moment of this one. What is surprising nonetheless is the absolute breadth and depth of that imagination, and its wit, charm, and warmth. Every last trace of 'Amélie' overflows with it, to the point that to run down a list of all the ways in which the pictures dazzles is essentially to break down how pictures get made. Jeunet's bewitching shot composition, and his keen orchestration of every scene; Bruno Delbonnel's enchanting, wonderfully dynamic cinematography, practically a living character unto itself; Hervé Schneid's impeccable editing; fantastic, colorful production design, art direction, and costume design; lovely hair and makeup work; fabulously whimsical characters, dialogue, and scene writing to build a quirky, off-beat narrative with equally whimsical humor; supremely nuanced performances to realize those ever so unique characters; seamless, fanciful, seamless effects both practical and special; Yann Tiersen's splendidly inviting, rich original music; flawless sound design... Am I missing anything? Is there any way in which this film is less than perfect?
And still, for all the cheeky, smart, fantastical idiosyncrasies that the feature can boast, it is but a complement to its unyielding soulfulness. Glaringly few are those movies that are unfailingly characterized by so much positivity, that can truly be said to be altogether life-affirming. There is drama here, but it is surely just about as light as as drama can get, with the result that the end product is exquisitely entertaining, satisfying, and rewarding, as precious few titles can claim to be. It's no wonder why 'Amélie' has garnered such acclaim and so many accolades, for it is without a doubt the best movie Jeunet has made in an already incredible career defined by exceptional visual design; one of the best movies to ever come out of France; one of the best movies of the twenty-first century; and possibly one of the best movies made since the advent of the medium. What other motion picture has ever burst with so much unremitting joie de vivre? How many other motion pictures have ever been so worthy?
I don't know how to lavish still more praise on this without betraying spoilers. I'm almost ashamed to admit that when this first saw release, I overlooked it in my ignorance of what it was about. I don't think I'd have been able to appreciate it as much twenty-two years ago as I do now, though, and regardless, the wait was absolutely worth it. No matter who you are, 'Amélie' is a must-see modern classic, and that's all there is to it.
And still, for all the cheeky, smart, fantastical idiosyncrasies that the feature can boast, it is but a complement to its unyielding soulfulness. Glaringly few are those movies that are unfailingly characterized by so much positivity, that can truly be said to be altogether life-affirming. There is drama here, but it is surely just about as light as as drama can get, with the result that the end product is exquisitely entertaining, satisfying, and rewarding, as precious few titles can claim to be. It's no wonder why 'Amélie' has garnered such acclaim and so many accolades, for it is without a doubt the best movie Jeunet has made in an already incredible career defined by exceptional visual design; one of the best movies to ever come out of France; one of the best movies of the twenty-first century; and possibly one of the best movies made since the advent of the medium. What other motion picture has ever burst with so much unremitting joie de vivre? How many other motion pictures have ever been so worthy?
I don't know how to lavish still more praise on this without betraying spoilers. I'm almost ashamed to admit that when this first saw release, I overlooked it in my ignorance of what it was about. I don't think I'd have been able to appreciate it as much twenty-two years ago as I do now, though, and regardless, the wait was absolutely worth it. No matter who you are, 'Amélie' is a must-see modern classic, and that's all there is to it.