A review of the 2001 French film “Amélie” which is back in cinemas now
This utterly delightful Gallic rom-com has an eventual romance and considerable humour, but something more: a sense of magic, as it explores how providing happiness to others secretly and unselfishly can transform one’s own sense of well-being.
The location is the Parisian quarter of Montmartre, but it a digitally-enhanced and lusciously-coloured version of this tourist haunt. The titular character is a young woman who has had an isolated upbringing, which has led to her being shy and inhibited and very much living in a world of her imagination. The large cast of supporting characters are invariably eccentric but in endlessly variable ways. There is even a travelling garden gnome.
The creator of this marvellous concoction is director and co-writer Jean-Pierre Jeunet who uses a huge array of inventive techniques to engage and entertain the viewer: lots of narration, some frenetic camerawork, variable camera angles, close-ups, long takes, and digital effects such as Amélie dissolving into water. The story and the camera are always on the move. The director’s muse is the adorable Audrey Tatou, playing the bobbed-haired gamine, who literally changes lives and ultimately her own.
The film was a huge success on its release and there was a 25th anniversary re-release. I was at the cinema to see it on both occasions.