This is a case of humor on steroids as writer-director Jean-Pierre Jeunet
("Alien 4", 1997; "Delicatessen", 1991) lets loose with a 2 hour cannonade
of boisterous ironies as it applies to a gamin faced, emotionally repressed
mademoiselle and the people who inhabit her world. The style is a high
energy barrage of cuts designed to quickly satisfy the audiences need to know
each character's motivations fears and frustrations as seen through a pair of
quite satiric eyes. The result is stylishly hilarious.
After growing up with a neurotic mother and a father who took no close
interest, it's no wonder that Amelie Poulain (Audrey Tatou) must contend with
feeling inferior. Having been discouraged from having friends, she has none
-- no boyfriend (though she's obviously more appealing than the film lets
on), no confidantes, and little purpose in life. But her discovery of a box
of mementoes, hidden many years ago within a wall in her apartment building,
leads her to investigate and track down the owner. Her doing so results in a
reconciliation between a father and a son, and sets Amelie on what she
divines as her destiny: to help others. Her life is now dedicated to this new
mission.
An encounter that will further change her life occurs when she observes a man
rummaging through a trash bin outside a self portrait machine in a train
station. Later, she discovers that he is Nino Quincampoix (Mathieu
Kassovitz), a part time cashier at an adult video store whose hobby is
collecting rejected self-portraits and whose fixation is on a mystery man who
leaves behind a countless number of them at machines all over the city. He
chases the mystery man while Amelie chases him in order to provide help and
understanding. This will involve some pursuits, some spy film intrigue
choreographed by Amelie herself, and enough emotional involvement to overcome
the limitations of her childhood and move her life onto yet another, more
fulfilling path.
The escapade is visually vivacious and physically energetic, told in a
quick-paced style of irony and sparkling comedy. Amelie is a delightful
creation of shyness and mischievousness brought to life by a 24-year old
actress who has just the right feel for the character and the material. She
also has a busy career in the making and the exposure of her work in this
film should expand that to include some offers from America before too long.
All involved have to have had much fun with "Amelie" since it so well
manifests fun in the telling, ambidexterously mixing universal feelings and
ironies of life as key ingredients for the humor.
But director Jean-Pierre Jeunet's virtuosity doesn't end with humor as his
and Guillaume Laurant's script probes and combines other themes, such as
voyeurism, domination, quirky individuality, psychological maturity and makes
nice points about finding meaning in life. It's all done around Paris but the
recognition of known types will resonate everywhere. Don't let the subtitles
keep you away from this delightful entry into this years' lineup of
entertainments. It is no accident that it's breaking records in France nor
that it won the audience award at the 2001 Toronto International Film
Festival.
The cinematography by Bruno Delbonnel is first rate, as are all the technical
credits.
Estimated cost: $10,000,000. Projected U.S. boxoffice: $22,000,000.
~~ Jules Brenner