#69 Amélie

In Summary

A quintessentially French film, Amélie, is an idiosyncratic and quirky ride around a colourful and vibrant Paris.

The film's protagonist - Amelie - is a committed loner who has learned to extract joy from the smallest things in life. Content with a life on her own, her world is blasted open by her discovery of a box of belongings from a previous occupant of her apartment.

Her attempts to resolve the mystery behind the owner of the box eventually leads her to a fellow loner, Nino, and they then form a tentative relationship.

Amélie is about so much more than this simple love story, with each side character fully fleshed out with their own story that intermingles with the central narrative. Much like its protagonist, Amélie, takes joy from the smallest things, relishing in elucidating tiny details and moments - such as the beggar who doesn't accept money on Sundays because it isn't a working day. Amélie is a film that thrives with life.

For a film that touches on some dark, melancholic themes of loneliness and depression, Amélie, wears that seriousness very lightly while using it to enrich the overriding beauty and whimsy of the film. It may at times veer dangerously towards the twee, but - in a similar way to a Wes Anderson film - uses its silliness to enhance the storytelling.

A Memorable Quote

Life's funny. To a kid, time always drags. Suddenly you're fifty. All that's left of your childhood... fits in a rusty little box.

Things You May Not Know

• The director, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, and his crew made sure to clean every shooting location of rubbish and graffitti in order to maintain the clean, slightly fantastical look of the film.
• The stone-skipping scenes were done by special effects as, Audrey Tautou (who plays Amelie) couldn't skip stones.
• The part of Amelie was written for Emily Watson, however, she turned down the role because she couldn't speak French. 

One of the Greatest of All Time?
Amélie is an inherently charming film that is a joy to watch regardless of the language barrier. While the film could perhaps be tarred as being overly quirky to some critics, its quirkiness is executed in a joyous way that enhances the appeal of the film and is in service to the narrative than just quirky for the sake of it.

This is a film you'll be glad you watched.