Based in Paris, we are introduced to the odd yet lovable Amélie Poulain through a gruesome birth scene. However, despite this starkly realistic start, the film evolves, through Jeunet’s wizardry with the camera, to a whimsical and heart-warming romance comedy. Even in her youth, Amélie has a strange fascination with all things out of the ordinary, and this fascination lives on as she grows up under her anti-social father. However, Amélie’s story doesn’t really begin until she uncovers an old box of childhood keepsakes hidden in her apartment. This catapults her into a frantic search for the unsuspecting owner. Loving the sense of accomplishment and unacknowledged praise and adoration felt from returning the gift, Amélie sets off to perform more philanthropic deeds. It is on this adventure that the charming Amélie falls in love, but she must learn to love herself before she can love anyone else.
Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s quirky filming techniques shine through in this oddball modern-day fairytale. “Amélie” is reminiscent of Jeunet’s other works “Delicatessen” and “The City of Lost Children” but not nearly as dark as these two previous films. Similar to “Delicatessen”, the viewer is introduced to a variety of peculiar characters upon which the story builds. Throughout the entirety of the film, the fragmented stories are played out in this nonlinear work. Jeunet employs saturated colors to highlight the cast of eccentric characters and sepia tones help to emerge the viewer in the dreamy and fanciful world of “Amélie”. This refreshing film breaks the mold of the typical romance comedy and is definitely worth the watch.
I thought this was a great review, still i would have liked to see just a bit more about the types of shots, lighting and mise-en-scene used. Nonetheless, great review
ReplyDeleteWhile you could have put more commentary on the cinematographic techniques utilized, you gave a good overview of the plot and director. I like most how you called the work "nonlinear" because I sort of observed the same thing. People are commenting everywhere about how the plot is more structured, etc., but I agree with you that the plot follows a nonlinear pattern almost like the whims of a dream.
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