- Katy Betz: student reviewer -
Over the summer, I saw a movie that really touched me: Am�lie. A French movie with English subtitles, Am�lie took a little more effort to enjoy than movies that you don�t have to �read.� Therefore, some people shy away from it. However, once a person sees past this first trivial detail, Am�lie is a wonderful and endearing movie.
As I saw this movie in the form of a video, I can give no information on availability, cost, or show times, but I can tell you that it is most definitely a romantic comedy. However, the social satire and wit of this movie has to be noted. There are times when you will laugh out loud at the director�s ability to display humankind at its most hilarious. I had been used to watching gritty, tough action movies, and while that genre is great, it was a welcome relief to follow along behind Am�lie as she trips through the streets of Paris finding love and fulfillment. A witty sense of humor and a whimsical sense of scenery and cinematography help give this movie the carefree attitude that so attracted me to it.
Producers Claudie Ossard and Jean-Marc Deschamps put together a wonderful cast, and director Jean-Pierre Jeunet really knows how to show them at their best. The basic plot is that Am�lie (Audrey Tautou, in a sensational performance) finds a lost box full of the trinkets of a little boy and decides to return them anonymously and see what happens. She is so excited by what develops that she continues her crusade of bringing happiness to random people in Paris. She also begins to punish people for their wrongdoings in such elaborate stunts as are usually seen in spy movies such as Mission Impossible or James Bond. These escapades bring her to a happiness of her own involving a young man named Nino (Mathieu Kassovitz). Other actors include Rufus (though he lacks a last name, he was stunning and he truly touched me), Lorella Cravotta, and Claire Maurier. These actors play the parts of the people who surround Am�lie in her everyday life. Through their talents, they give the movie a special sense of completion, a sense that everything fits perfectly together.
This movie is similar to other romantic comedies as the main character repeatedly plans to meet her romantic interest, but then backs out at the last minute. It finally takes someone telling her to go for it in order for her to gather up the courage to actually come face to face with him. This is a clich� for a lot of romantic comedies, but in Am�lie, it comes off well. Also, the movie has some very high-tech computer-generated special effects. There are several times when Am�lie�s imagination takes over. However, these parts are few and they do not distract from the movie as a whole. Another point to mention is the music. This movie presents to its viewers a terrific amount of traditional Parisian music. It was truly delightful.
I would recommend Am�lie to anyone with above-average intelligence who is in the mood for a movie that�s different from all the others, that doesn�t feel like it simply came off of an assembly line. My overall rating for this movie is a huge A+.