Starring: Audrey Tautou, Mathieu Kassovitz, Serge Merlin, Jamel DebbouzeDirected By: Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Running Time: 122 Min., Color
Copyright 2001
French w/Subtitles
Rated: R
It's taken a while, but I've finally had a chance to watch (and re-watch) Amelie. Now...how to discuss it without restating the obvious? Having only seen the film on satellite TV, I hadn't realized that it was nominated for no less than five academy awards in 2002 and has actually won fifty-one other awards from around the world! It was only when I received my own copy that I learned of its acclaim, but I'm not sure that would have made any difference in the formation of my opinion.
I know it's going to sound strange coming from someone with a blog dedicated to discussing movies, but I really don't care much about the Oscars. I rarely even know that the big event is coming up until it's already over and I certainly don't put much stock in the outcome. I can't really say why, though I do have a sneaking suspicion that it has something to do with an aversion to being told what to like. I guess I'm a little stubborn that way. I want to make up my own mind.
The blurb on the back of my DVD cover reads like this:
A painfully shy waitress working at a tiny Paris cafe, Amelie makes a surprising discovery and sees her life drastically changed for the better! From then on, Amelie dedicates herself to helping others find happiness...in the most delightfully unexpected ways! But will she have the courage to do for herself what she has done for others?
My new DVD set has bonus features including several interviews with the writer/director Jean-Pierre Jeunet. He indicates that much of the story is autobiographical. The fish in the story was his little fish. The scrapbook was actually the creation of a friend (although the one in the movie was a re-creation). At least to some extent, he is Amelie. Her story was intricately woven with strands from life as he has lived it and as he has imagined it to be. And, eccentric as it seems, it's a life I can relate to.
I guess that's what it boils down to most of the time. We like a movie that we can relate to in one way or another. Either we identify with elements in the story that remind us of ourselves or we are drawn to something that is different and intriguing. For me, Amelie offers both. There are emotions and motivations represented in the film that I am intimately acquainted with. And there is an attention to detail and honesty and humor that I really admire. When Amelie struggles, I think...I know that struggle. When she indulges in one of her secret delights, I think...that looks like fun!
Bottom line, to me, Amelie is like a little butterfly nestled safely in her warm cocoon. It's lonely and uncomfortable at times, but it's also familiar and secure. When she finds the tin box, it's as if she catches a glimpse of the outside world with all its possibilities. And she has to choose whether to hunker down where it's safe or learn to fly.
So...what are your impressions of this film? Was it your cup of tea...or a little too sweet for your taste? Did you see yourself somewhere within the frames or did you ask...what were they thinking? Either way, I'd love to chat with you about it, so tell me what you think!
23 comments:
We are going to have to watch it again now, but what I do remember from the first time was a sense of not knowing what came next, which was very refreshing after so many formulaic movies that come out now. Everytime it felt like I had the movie figured out, something unexpected would happen. I like that.
Hi, Bryan. Thanks for stopping by! I agree with you. Amelie is definitely full of the unexpected. I think that's what caught my attention in the first place. I didn't purposely seek out this movie. I happened upon it on television one night. Keeping up with the subtitles while the narrator talked 100 mph was tricky, but I was so intrigued that I couldn't stop watching. :)
Right from the opening credits when they showed snippets of Amelie's childhood...I was completely charmed by glimpses of my own childhood right there on the screen. I'd never realized that other kids put glue on their hands on purpose...just for the pleasure of peeling it off. :) How naive of me!
I'm thinking.
It's been extremely busy, here, but I hope I can join the discussion soon. It was a great movie.
Hey, Steve, I'm so glad you liked Amelie! I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts whenever you have time to share them. :)
Kimberlee, this was a great movie. I might send you several small comments rather than a huge one.
The movie is full of so much positive stuff. All throughout the movie, I kept having the feeling that Amelie thinks like I do, and it was good to see her prevail. She is a hero of the unmarketable delight-oriented minority that some of us comprise. I went to college with someone a lot like her.
The child Amelie was the kind of person that other children and adults would call wierd, but she was connected to beauty by more powerful channels than her critics.
Then later, Amelie was the kind of adult who was never not a child.
Having to read subtitles took away from the movie for me. I needed to be seeing everything that was shown rather than reading along. There was so much to see that, while not always crucial to the storyline, was artistically important to notice.
Quirkiness is a virtue, when intelligence and beauty are behind it. I loved the many aspects of her personality that would come out in her conversation, bits of odd expression that made her mysterious and attractive.
She was unafraid of herself.
I thought the character development of this movie was excellent. That's what makes a believable and engaging story. From the barmaids and regulars to the vegetable vendors to her dad to the Glass Man to the principals, they were consistently portrayed from scene to scene. That provides (or at least enhances) the sense of well-being that grows out of this type of film.
Wow, Steve! You've made some great observations. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
I TOTALLY agree about the subtitles. I know that some movies have the option of dubbing in English. I don't know if that would have been a better way to go or not. I liked the characters actual voices...but having to pay attention to the print WAS annoying. Like you, I wanted to look at everything in each scene. In fact, that was the writer/director's intention! In one of the interviews on the bonus CD, Jean-Pierre Jeunet talked a lot about how meticulously they attended to EVERY detail, especially color. Nothing in ANY frame is an accident or haphazard choice. The blue lamp is there because they WANTED blue in the scene, etc. It was amazing to imagine all the details that were considered. I think I even remember him saying that they had the streets of Paris washed so that everything would have a kinder, gentler, feel to it. And, in my opinion, it worked!
Steve said...
"I kept having the feeling that Amelie thinks like I do"
I had the same feeling. In fact, there are some things that she does that I HAVE done or have THOUGHT about doing that just floored me when I saw it on screen. And, no, I'm not going to tell what they were. :)
You brought up a really good point about character development, Steve. The consistency that you mentioned was important. And I liked that so much information is given about each character. Even when the narrator is point-blank giving the audience facts about characters...
Kimberlee dislikes...black licorice, blue eyeshadow, cheap sausage, flat pillows, and personal hygiene products that smell like food.
Kimberlee likes...the feel of old books, the scent of new ones, watching her dog's eyebrows bob up and down, letting frozen blackberries melt in her mouth, and almost anything with zippers.
...there is something about the rhythm (which I didn't reproduce very well) and the choice of information shared that is interesting and funny and endearing. It puts the audience on a much more intimate level with the characters than they would have had time to develop through action alone.
"A man who knows proverbs can't be all bad."
LOL! I love that line. :)
Hi. A church member of mine shares my love of British movies/miniseries, and she lends them to me from time to time. Recently I returned to her two versions of Pride & Prejudice, North and South, and The Barchester Chronicles. At that time she delivered a handfull of Dickens DVDs. Also in that group was a copy of Mr Holland's Opus, completely unexpected and unrequested.
So, if you get in the mood to start your next movie discussion here, I'll be up to date with my thoughts.
Ugh! I just spent quite a lot of time on a comment, thought I had published it, went away, came back and it was not here...
I was finally able to watch Amelie...kind of tough to do with a bunch of kids around given the rating. The copy Tim rented had some damage in the middle - the scene where the grocer wakes up to discover things out of order. I definitely agree with your discussion about he subtitles. BUT despite these negatives, I really did like the movie. I liked her facial expressions, the whole idea of taking the time to do all those things for all those people, the characters, but most of all the fact that she (as Steve put it)was a "hero of the unmarketable delight-oriented minority". I am not consistently in that group myself, but aspire to be.
I'll have to come back to finish later...
Steve...
That's really an interesting surprise that you ended up with Mr. Holland's Opus of all movies. I have been working on the introduction for a while. It should be done and posted soon. I don't think I've ever been able to chat with anyone about that film, so I'm excited that you are interested in giving it a try. :)
Jackie...
I'm so glad you had a chance to see Amelie! I wonder how much of it you missed due to the damaged CD. Her facial expressions were wonderful and added so much to the film. It's hard to believe that this is the same actress that later played in The Da Vinci Code. Not that she didn't do a good job in that role, she was just so perfect for THIS one...it's easy to believe that she IS Amelie.
I'm looking forward to talking with you further, if you have a chance!
...back to what I was saying before...I've been thinking a lot about "delight-oriented" people like Amelie since recently reading a book called THE SHACK. This is not the major theme by far, but in it God is revealed as the creator/father who has shown His love for his children by hiding things in creation...just as parents love hiding things for their children to discover and enjoy. We engage in mystery/investigation/discovery/delight because He made us that way and aren't we made in His image? I know I'm moving away from the types of things Amelie delighted in, but just think about all the big and little discoveries that people have made - I'm not so sure how God feels about what we've done with the big discoveries of things like the atom, but I can imagine Him smiling when we discover or enjoy little things like foods that taste good together (do you recall the ingredients in BBQ sauce? What a discovery!) Or the healing power of aloevera (sp?) or penicillan (isn't that a type of mold?) Or how about this one - the extremely pleasant feeling of lying down when you're really tired...call it God being practical (we must desire sleep because our bodies need rest), but I prefer to think of God designing that feeling then looking for a place to "put" it for us to enjoy. I guess that's a little weird, but isn't this discussion about people who might seem a little weird? Anyway, there are lots of examples of things God likely designed simply for the pleasure of watching us discover them...all the amazing details of the solar system, the cell, animals, plants, sounds, sensations, smells, etc,etc,etc.
I think that the joy that is spoken of in the Bible has a lot to do with the whole idea of delighting in the details...I guess that's why I said that I aspire to be in the "delight-oriented minority". Kimberlee, your entire Arctic blog is evidence that you are in that group...joy in the details is prevalent there.
I'd like to tell you about how I see Littie in Amelie's personality, but that will have to wait for another day...
Jackie
Sorry about switching from a movie to a book discussion - one did make me think of the other though...
Jackie, please don't apologize for anything that you said. I love the connections that you made! I'm sure that my attraction to Amelie is based in much of what you put into words so well. Life is full of treasures...we just have to have the eyes and heart to seek them...God designed it that way for His pleasure as well as ours. Thanks for making those points!
Did you know that I just finished reading The Shack? How funny that we were both reading it at the same time! :) I would really enjoy talking with you about that too, at some point.
I'm really glad you persevered through the movie-watching obstacles and were willing to share your thoughts! Between you and Steve...this has been a fun discussion for me! :)
You know what especially impressed me? The simplicity of the film. Amelie was the sort of woman who really had remained a child at heart and was innocent in that way, giving her a deep appreciation for the tiny things no one seemed to acknowledge. It really was a magical film and watching it with English subtitles made the film even more... real!
Hi, Jo!
I'm so glad to hear that you enjoyed Amelie and appreciated the simple beauty of her story. I think it's one of the funniest, sweetest, and most intriguing films out there. The writer/director was very skillful in achieving his vision, but there is something about the film that connects with my soul and I'm not sure that it can be explained or encompassed by simply acknowledging the creators skill. Do you know what I mean?
I'm so happy to be able to chat with you about this. It took us a while, huh? :)
Exactly! I totally agree, Kimberly. There was this unexpected drama to a story which, I had first assumed to be a comedy - I suppose to some extent it showed how our lives hold both joy and sorrows in them. You can always find happiness in the midst of the hustle and turmoil of life.
I know that for me, after shutting off the laptop and putting the dvd away I thought to myself, "I sure want to savor the simple things of life more."
The best part of the movie though, (in my opinion) was when she switched around the grocer's home. She really was like a little girl trapped inside a womans body. She had such girlish delight over everything. And her match-making reminded me of a modern-day Emma Woodhouse!
A truly enchanting story, don't you think? ;-)
Ha! Great comparison, Jo! Amelie certainly wasn't any more successful at match-making than Emma. That's another of my favorites! :) Thanks for reminding me!
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