Amelie

Jeunet & Caro

Date: 15/04/02   —   6.97   —   DVD / VHS

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Rating:

OK, so I’m probably behind so many people in even seeing Amelie but I bought the special edition DVD and it is the sort of film you have to review. Of late every time I see a French film it gives me an extra confidence in the French cinematic industry, perhaps I’m just watching the right films.

My only very minor disappointment with Amelie was the orgasm scene, that’s not a problem for me and the film is a 15, it just means I wouldn’t be able to show it to my kids and I think that’s a shame because it is a very visual film almost cartoon-like in the way it moves. Everything else woul I think make it a U or at worst a PG. My daughter did watch a bit which had a 6 year old Amelie on the roof getting revenge on a guy by pulling out his TV ariel every time there was a goal, and she was howling with laughter.

I like the way the narration comes and goes and the way random items of what’s going on in the world around are inserted. The plot is good and well-woven, it couldn’t be done to this intelligence in the US it would be watered down and you’d lost the intricacies. The French seem to be able to portray places in a particular way and the steps in Parisian districts seem a feature of a number of films. Unlike L’Homme du Train which for me had a very interesting blue cast to it Amelie has what to me seemed a more Mediterranean yellowish cast. I can’t put my finger on it but the colour saturation is totally different in both the last 2 French films and it adds a non-verbal dimension to the film.

All in all I found it warm and funny. A feel good film without the smaltz. Since the DVD is now only £7 in the UK it is the ideal film to watch with the spouse.

Song Of The Day ~ Plastic Bertrand – Ca Plain Pour Moi

Original Comments:


Mark Ellott made this comment,
This is one I haven’t caught up with yet. I’ve still got to watch the DVDs we bought of Jean De Florette and Manon De Sources I bought in January…
comment added :: {ts ‘2005-06-12 20:07:26’} GMT+01 :: http://longrider.blog-city.com

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Bianca made this comment,
I absolutely loved Amelie!!
comment added :: {ts ‘2005-06-13 09:34:52’} GMT+01

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rayts made this comment,
better late than never. sometimes, i like watching film the dvd better because i get to see the speciaal features especially if they are foreign films. i’m watching this film again and again for my French class and i couldn’t concentrate on what Amelie was saying because she talks too fast.
comment added :: {ts ‘2005-06-14 01:13:01’} GMT+01

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sarah made this comment,
i love this film, its one of my favorites – the actress (her name is audrey tatou, i think) is absolutely fantastic.
i love french cinema or rather, i prefer most foreign language films, because hollywood tends to get extremely cliched – the boy always gets the girl, and its extremely predictable with lots of feel good american sentiments thrown in. mexican, french, and japanese cinema is brilliant because they either keep it real or they get really surreal…

Redbaron responds – My sentiments entirely, if you ever get over here there’s a selection of European and chinese films for you to get thru’!