Amélie (2001)

• Year: 2001
• Released: 08 Feb 2002
• Country: France, Germany
• Adwords: Nominated for 5 Oscars. 59 wins & 74 nominations total
• IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0211915/
• Rotten Tomatoes: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/amelie
• Metacritics: https://www.metacritic.com/movie/amelie
• Available in: 720p, 1080p,
• Language: French, Russian, English
• MPA Rating: R
• Genre: Comedy, Romance
• Runtime: 122 min
• Writer: Guillaume Laurant, Jean-Pierre Jeunet
• Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet
• Cast: Audrey Tautou, Mathieu Kassovitz, Rufus
• Keywords: paris, france, daughter, love triangle, photography, magic realism,

	8.3/10
	69/100
	89% – Critics
	95% – Audience

Amélie Storyline

In 1974, in Enghien in the northern suburbs of Paris, the girl Amélie Poulain was born and raised alone by her cold-hearted father and her stressed mother due to a mistake of her father’s evaluation of her heart conditions. Her mother dies in a weird accident and, when the shy and daydreamer Amélie Poulain becomes a young woman, she moves to central Paris and works as waitress in the café Deux Moulins in Montmartre. On 30 August 1997, Amélie finds a childhood treasure hidden behind the wall that belonged to a dweller from the ’50s, and she decides to anonymously return it to the owner. He seeks out the man and when she witnesses his happiness, she decides to become the “godmother of the rejected,” anonymously helping people that are her acquaintances using her fantasy and little tricks. She convinces her father to travel abroad using his garden gnome; she helps her neighbor that is an outcast and lonely painter and the super that misses her unfaithful husband; she also helps her hypochondriac colleague that works in the tobacco shop and the man that stalks the other waitress acting like cupid; she plays pranks to an employer that mistreats his employee with abusive relationship. When Amélie finds the album of photos of an intriguing collector that collects rejected photos in the Photomaton of the Gare de l’Est, she seeks him out and falls in love with him. On 28 September 1997, Amélie Poulain finds love.

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Amélie Movie Reviews

Finds its charm in the little things

‘Le Fabuleux Destin d’Amélie Poulain’ finds its charm in the little things. The story about Amélie (Audrey Tautou) is a modern day fairy tale and that is exactly how it looks the entire film.

We have a wonderful story about Amélie who decides to help people around her, making them happy. Not by doing great big things or giving money, but by little things. She helps her father by making him believe that his gnome from the garden is on a trip around the world, she helps a lonely neighbor by just visiting him, she helps a stranger by returning something she found in her home. On the way she falls in love with Nino (Mathieu Kassovitz) who’s hobby it is to collect photos from automatic photo booths. Photos that were tossed away because people thought they didn’t look good enough. He puts all those photos and pieces of photos in a big book. There is a little mystery in the book as well, of course I will not spoil that for you. The story is not only sweet and charming, it has some great moments of comedy as well.

The movie looks colorful and bright almost constantly. Even the sad parts from Amélie’s life, her youth for example, look almost strangely happy. In this world, Paris actually, Audrey Tautou is the perfect inhabitant. She has one of those faces that seem to smile the entire time. She looks like she just pulled a joke and she is waiting for you to find out what it is. In a way her character is really doing that here so it does not feel strange.

In short ‘Le Fabuleux Destin d’Amélie Poulain’ is charming, funny, romantic bright and full of life. This is the perfect lighthearted movie.

What is left to say about this glorious joy ride?

I had heard superlative comments on this film and it does not disappoint.

Paris is the backdrop and what a Paris, A Paris of La Boheme and the Merry Widow. Audrey is brilliant in the role of Amelie, projecting a true joie de vivre.

The film is full of surprises in both plot and characters. I left the theatre feeling lighter. It is truly one of a kind, eccentric, unusual and uplifting. I will not say more on it as it would spoil the fun.

I gave it a 10 out of 10 for something so completely out of the ordinary and so very unhollywood.

Just plain weird…and I mean that in a good way.

Considering that there are a bazillion reviews for this film already, I really don’t think it’s that important that I do an in-depth review of this film. It is already well in the top 100 films on IMDb, so it’s obviously a very good film.

Instead of the usual view of the film, I’ll talk about it from a psychological perspective. Amélie is a nice lady who is severely hindered by an Avoidant Personality. This means that she’s so worried about being rejected by others that she always keeps her distance from them–particularly anyone who could become intimate. In other words, instead of being actively involved with others, she lives a life of quiet desperation–hoping that somehow things will work themselves out but completely terrified to act. So, she sublimates her energy into doing things to help others–but always at a distance and anonymously. Most of the things she does for others are very quirky and strange–but ultimately very helpful and kind. In one of the cases, however, she attempts to gain retribution for an emotionally abused young man through passive-aggressive actions. Fortunately for her, she meets a man who is also Avoidant (his hobby is very detached yet shows an interest in others)…but how can two such obvious misfits who are afraid of commitment find a way to connect?!

Aside from the psychological aspects of the film, I really appreciated the look of the film. The odd 1930s style of Amélie’s clothing and the homes in the film, the choice of colors (with lots of sepia tones), the cinematic tricks and the quirky little gimmicks (such as the pictures and lamp in her room coming to life) all help to make this a magical picture that you cannot forget.

Overall, a delight. Oddly, however, despite the very high rating, I think that Audrey Tautou mas made better films, such as HE LOVES ME…HE LOVES ME NOT and A VERY LONG ENGAGEMENT.