Over this weekend, I had the great pleasure of watching Amélie. I've been fascinated with French culture for a while, ranging from its pop music to now its movies, and I haven't been let down yet. In addition, the main actress's name is Audrey Tautou, and rarely have I met another Audrey, so I definitely did not want to miss out on this opportunity! So just as a brief synopsis, Amélie is the story of Amélie Poulain, an introverted and eccentric girl, and how she affects the lives around her. Her reclusive and quirky attitude begin at an early age and fully manifest as she grows up and moves to Montematre, where she is a waitress. Amélie focuses on and loves the little things in life, but her life changes as she realizes the pleasure of helping others and making their lives better. Amélie nudges people into reaching for a better tomorrow instead of staying stagnant, like she did for years. And through it all, she finds closure in her family life, tighter bonds with friends, and unexpected love.
I think the most striking aspect of Amélie is the cinematic details of the movie. Many scenes were bold, saturated colors either against a monochromatic background or interspersed with dull scenes. This enhanced Amélie's characterization, as she was generally associated with the color sticking out, whether it was her bright clothes or her colorful apartment. She stuck out as a sore thumb, reflecting how different she was in comparison to "normal" society. Another detail I took note of was how Amélie's face was almost always completely lit. I think this was really interesting and also helped build her as a character because it shows her as a sign of hope, always lit up and ready to help.
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| Amélie's umbrella stands out against the dull backdrop. |
In terms of plot, I can see where some people would jump off the bandwagon on this movie. It's very wacky, in terms of both acting and plot. Amélie always had new plans and ideas to help those around her, so it was hard to keep up, and the other characters had weird and crazy tendencies, such as searching for ripped up photos under photo booths or stalking an ex-girlfriend or working at both a carnival and sex shop. For a while in the movie, I was a little thrown off on where exactly it was headed, but that's something that I like. I feel like in movies, it's really cool to see an unconventional plot because we, as an audience, are always so used to predicting the plot. So what I loved is that I didn't really know where the movie was headed; I just joined in on the ride. Another large part of Amélie's plot was the comedy. It wasn't the some raunchy or slapstick humor Hollywood sometimes produces, but rather it was, just like its characters and plot, very bizarre humor, ie.
I wasn't on the floor laughing, but the comedy within the movie did warrant some giggles if not a couple snorts of laughter.
A scene that I think encompasses all my favorite aspects of the movie is when Amélie is on her first journey to better someone's life by searching for a boy who lost his favorite toy box as a child.
I think this scene is particularly important because it marks the beginning of her first expedition of changing the life of someone else. Before this key scene, Amélie was chiefly concerned with herself, embracing the reclusive attitude of her father, so this marks an important shift in her characterization. Furthermore, the editing and sound reflects the director's desire to really take the audience on the adventure with Amélie. This is highlighted when the camera shakes with the train and the sound of the conductor gurgles. It feels like we're there with her. Also, as I said before, despite her dark top, Amélie's dressed in a bright red skirt, contrasting her from the monochromatic backgrounds around her. It really makes her stand out as a character. All these elements together very aptly portray Amélie, both the character and the general directorial and cinematic elements.
Overall, I think the story is so incredibly unique, filled with a wonderful and talented cast, but I fear that there are some elements, namely the plot, that would deter some movie goers. I would definitely recommend this movie to fans of Wes Anderson because it has the same quirky humor and plot line. Also much of the cinematic elements, chiefly the color scheme, mirrors his choices for movies he's directed such as Moonrise Kingdom and his upcoming movie, The Grand Budapest Hotel. And to fans of Amélie, I would recommend looking into Spike Jonze's Academy Award-nominated film, Her. Jonze incorporates a lot of beautiful cinematic features like Jean-Pierre Jeunet and has the similar, funky Indie/Art House vibe going on.
In the end, I would give Amélie a 4.3 out of 5 stars. Despite its eccentricities in plot line, Jean-Pierre Jeunet creates a creative and beautiful world by painting a mosaic of characters, who are not readily accepted in society, and guiding each one to become the better, if not best, versions of themselves with the help of the charming Amélie Poulain.
Thanks for reading! And until next time,
