You Haven't Seen Amelie?!?!

What do I know about the film already?

It's French. There's a girl called Amelie.

30 minute pause point:

Yay! France!

This reminds me a little of Science of Sleep, not just because it's French but because of the imagination that's gone into it.

I like the style of storytelling, and the annotations.

I feel like 500 Days of Summer was influenced by this.

Both of Amelie's parents seem super highly strung and OCD, I don't think I'd cope.

No hugs for Amelie!

I find suicidal fishes funny.

Like all true hipsters, child Amelie has an instamatic.

Apparently, I enjoy all suicide as a vehicle for humour.

I'm liking how many 'quick' jokes there are. Like blink and you'll miss them. Eg the tramp that refused Amelie's money at the station because he 'doesn't work Sundays'.

I like Madeleine. She's tragic, but I like her.

So much colour in this film. It's like the saturation is turned all the way up on life.

It's fun to watch films in French because then you get to learn words like spastic, and bum.

Old french women scare me, they're so stern. At the same time, I'd quite like to be one.

Now that Amelie has returned the box to Bretodeau, I'm intrigued to see where this is going. I'm guessing it's going to be more about Amelie learning about herself.

60 minute pause point:

Amelie's actions inspired Bretodeau to right his wrongs, that's nice.

She appears to think this means she's some kind of super hero.

If I was that blind man, I would not be happy.

I think that Amelie is not really that happy, and is a lonely person.

I would like to know how much Amelie's job pays, as she has a rather nice Parisian apartment and seemingly a lot of spare time. Are there any vacancies at Café des 2 Moulins ?

I'm really starting to see the themes of this film now, imaginary world vs reality etc.

Amelie herself is quite the control freak. She is trying to change the lives of people around her to how she thinks they should be.

I find it astounding that you can tell two people that they fancy each other and then it will start to happen. So easily led is the human heart.

The line 'fur pie doesn't sell' came from nowhere and it's brilliant.

The scene between Lucien and Dufayel is brilliant.

Colignon, tête à gnons!

I don't think Amelie has learned much about herself yet but we have.

Her father's inability to show affection has left her confused by the prospect of love and perpetually in a dream world.

I hope we get to see some more of Lucien and Dufayel.

There are a lot of similarities between Amelie and Dufayel. He is also different from the crowd.

I think they are each trying to help each other but have actually come up with pretty accurate descriptions of themselves.

I would like a neighbour that would give me wine and speculoos when I visit.

Nino is different like her but do two 'differents' make a normal?

I like the imagery of the ghost train, Amelie is going into the unknown to pursue Nino etc. Very nice.

Amelie's 'advances would provoke fear from most people. There's a fine line between playful chase and stalking.

Those photos where she asks to meet are the scariest thing I've ever seen.

I want to know how Amelie got the gnome to travel the world.

I can't help thinking that once the chase is over, won't they both be bored? Each are interested in the 'idea' of each other.

Amelie's meddling with Collignon's apartment, whilst a step too far, is amusing on a Bart Simpson prank call level.

I'm not sure I agree with Amelie's decision to make Madeleine believe her husband was good when he wasn't.

Dufayel is my absolute favourite, I want his life.

Like Amelie is stuck in her imaginary world, he is stuck in his Renoir world.

 

 

End of film:

Oh! So that's how the gnome was traveling. I should have clocked onto that.

Amelie is not far from full on creepy stalker now.

All of this chasing is just going to lead to a ridiculous build up and disappointment surely?

Then again, Nino has been spending his days collecting photos of just this one guy all over Paris, so I guess he can hardly judge in terms of stalking.

Amelie is a lone woman crying as she bakes with her cat. This is the internet's dream situation.

Lucien is fast becoming my second favourite.

As pretty as that meeting of weirdos was, I still don't see it lasting.

There's such a thing as a marshmallow twister?!

There's more links in your brain than there are atoms in the universe?!

DOUBLE bomb drop.

I really, really like the editing in this film.

Audrey Tatou's face is some sort of witchcraft to be wearing that hair so well.

 

 Would I watch this again?

  I really would. I might even buy it on hard copy.

What did I learn from this film?

  I know what the film was trying to teach me. That you should live life as you dream your dreams. Take chances when they're there, open yourself up to love and opportunity, even if you are 'different' there are others like you. And I really do appreciate all of those messages. But I am not French, I am English, and the worst type of English. The cynic. I want to see what happened to Amelie and Nino ten years down the line, when they had no reason to dream anymore because they had already done all that and found each other. Are Amelie and Nino just sat on a sofa somewhere with a cat watching Plus Belle La Vie?

Is the hype justified?

 

Yes, yes, oui. The story, if on the romantic side, is well constructed, the editing I loved, so much detail had gone into it. The actors, superb, and the score fits perfectly.

My YHS rating: 

 

It's another 9er. Probably a nine and a half if I'm being honest. I think it is important to point out that I am a bit of a francophile, so that may have contributed to an extra point. I love watching anything French, so I was already likely to love this film. HOWEVER, aside from my bias, it does deserve this rating, it is such a well made film, I definitely recommend it to people that are bored of the basic film formula most of Hollywood (and English) films use.  Also this film has a HAPPY ending and I like it? That almost never happens.

Next week:  

 

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