Amelie Movie Review 2001

Paris waitress Amelie (Tautou) has led a solitary, but not wholly unpleasant, existence. When she finds a box of childhood treasures behind a wall in her apartment, she sets out to return them to their original owner. Accomplishing this, she begins to secretly intervene in the lives of neighbors and coworkers, helping some find romance, others retribution for past wrongs. When her "missions" bring her into contact with a quirky local (Kassovitz), she begins a roundabout courtship involving a treasure hunt instead of approaching him directly. Director Jeunet leaves intact his stunning, and very stylized visual talents, but marshals them in service of a fresh, lighthearted comedy, in contrast to his previous, downcast work. Tautout has no problem carrying the movie and has the look of a budding major star.

Distribution

Buena Vista Home Entertainment, 500 S. Buena Vista St., Burbank, CA 91521-1120, Toll-free: 800-723-4763, URL: http://www.bvhe.com

Available on VHS, DVD
Running time 120 minutes.
Originally from French, German.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Paris, Only the Lonely, Shutterbugs, Waiters & Waitresses, Kindness of Strangers

Screenplay

Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Guillaume Laurant

Cast

Audrey Tautou, Mathieu Kassovitz, Rufus, Yolanda Moreau, Dominique Pinon, Maurice Benichou, Artus de Penguern, Urbain Cancellier, Isabelle Nanty, Claire Maurier, Claude Perron, Clothilde Mollet, Serge Merlin, Jamel Debbouze, Flora Guiet

Cinematography

Bruno Delbonnel

Director

Jean-Pierre Jeunet

Music

Yann Tiersen

Other

Andre Dussollier, Vincent Arnardi, Jean Umansky, Herve Schneid, Emma Lebail, Aline Bonetto

Producer

Claudie Ossard, France 3 Cinema, MMC Independent, Victoires Productions, Tapioca Films, Miramax Films

Awards

British Acad. 2001: Orig. Screenplay; Cesar 2001: Art Dir./Set Dec., Director (Jeunet), Film, Score; Broadcast Film Critics 2001: Foreign Film.