Film Review #7- Amélie

An old film, for a change. I've already seen this one, I guess most people will have. If you haven't, watch it. It is sensational. It's funny, clever, well-made and just the cutest and most uplifting film ever!

"Amélie", directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, is a comedy film, I suppose. It begins with a narrator who announces the small events that happened at the exact time that Amélie was conceived. It's a strange opening, but it's nice, and I like the narrator as well because it makes the film even more unique. 

Essentially, the film is about Amélie falling in love with Nino, a collector of discarded photo booth photos. It doesn't happen conventionally, in fact he doesn't know who she is until the end.

However, it's also about Amélie anonymously helping people- she sets up two people at the café where she works, fashions a fake letter in order to convince her landlady that her late husband really did love her (a few similarities to Beautiful Lies, perhaps?), and also teachers a mean shopkeeper a lesson.

There's also a mystery in the film, just to add another genre to it. In Nino's album of discarded photos, the same man appears twelve times. Amélie believes he's a ghost- a man scared of being forgotten (which, it turns out, is not the case). When we do find out the identity of the mysterious man, it's a bit of an anticlimax, I think. In some ways, though, it kind of makes the film better, and more like real life.

The way this is filmed is just amazing. It has an almost nostalgic feel to it, and it's so bright, you could almost imagine it as a children's film. The way that film and photos are used in the movie are also very clever; in one instance, Amélie imagines watching a documentary about her own death on TV, explaining how she died of exhaustion, trying to help as many people as she could. At another point, Nino is in bed, when one of his photos talks to him, and tells him about Amélie.

Luncheon of the Boating Party- Renoir

The characters in the film are all really unique, like everything else in this film. Every major character is introduced by the narrator: "This is... He/she likes... He/she doesn't like...". For example, Amélie's father dislikes peeing next to someone else and clingy wet swimming trunks, and likes emptying his tool box, cleaning it out, and putting everything back. There's also "The Glass Man" who was born with bones as brittle as glass, and who spends his life in his flat replicating Renoir's "Luncheon of the Boating Party". However, my favourite character has to be Amélie. My parents say I'm a bit like her, so maybe that's why.
Overall, I think Amélie is truly inspiring. It's one of those rare films you get every now and again which are so beautiful and uplifting, and put your faith back in life when you think you no longer have any.

So, it's my first (for a film, anyway)
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ (and it more than deserves it)

Caitlin

Film Review #5- Beautiful Lies

This review will be a quick one- it's 9:45pm and I'm going on holiday tomorrow morning (having said that, I want to do it now rather than in a week's time when I will have forgotten everything).

'Beautiful Lies' is a rom-com about a young woman, Emilie (played by Audrey Tautou) who recieves an anonymous love letter from the electrician who works at her hair and beauty salon, Jean. She decides to copy this letter and send it to her mother, who is still trying to recover from separating with her husband four years ago, to "bring her back to life". However, as is to be expected in any romantic comedy, all does not go as Emilie planned.

Ever since I watched 'Amelie' for the first time, I have been a fan of Audrey Tautou, so I was really looking forward to seeing this film. I have to say, it did live up to my expectations. It was incredibly funny, and the plot was good as well- it wasn't too obvious what was going to happen (well, you always know the ending in these sort of films, but what was going to happen in the middle wasn't obvious from the start).

The characters were very well played-  I especially liked Jean, who at first is very quiet and polite, but becomes annoying and rude throughout the film. Another character I liked was Paulette, who worked with Emilie. Even though she was quite a minor character, I thought that her awkwardness and her facial expressions were hilarious.

I wish I could write more, but I don't have any more time- I might add to this review when I get back from holiday (if I can remember anything!).

Anyway, overall, it was a good, lighthearted comedy, which I would recommend to anyone who loves to laugh and doesn't like to look too far into the 'meaning' of a film. Basically, it's good fun, and if you expect any more than that, you'll be disappointed.

I'll give this film another
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Caitlin

P.S. Going to the Dordogne tomorrow! I'll be making a daily vlog, but I won't be able to post them until I get back so I'll be gone for a week.
Also, I have more exciting news- I'm going to a course of French cinema with my mum in September, which is at the Phoenix in Leicester. I'm so excited!