Jul 27, 2005 05:42 PM
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(Updated Jul 27, 2005 05:42 PM)
Amelie is by far the best foreign film I have ever seen. That is probably the reason why I didn't mind the sub titles too.
But when you watch it a second time without the sub titles you realize that this film has a unoversal language spoken in it which can be understood without really understanding the words itself.
This film was also nominated as the Best Foreign Film the same year Lagaan was in contention at the Oscars.
However both the films lost it to No Man's Land. A film I have yet to see..
Coming back to Amelie, it is a story of a girl who likes to live in her own world. She is scared to take risks and instead of venturing out in the real world, she creates dreams and illusions to make her own little world exciting.
In this process she also helps better other people's lives. She brings excitement into her father's life by making him believe that his pet stuffed doll is trotting the globe. She sends a letter to one of her neighbours which is from her dead husband. A letter that was lost by the postal department for 40 years.
In the course of living in her little world, she comes across a photo album which has instant pictures taken at the train stations of various people. Pictures which people didn't like and tore them are collected by a guy and stuck in his album.
Amelie is quite intrigued by this guy, who in turn she also takes a liking too.
The scene when she returns the album to him is quite interestingly done.
She calls him to a park and has all these arrows drawn that lead him to the top where there is a bioscope and when he looks through that she waves out to him and puts the album in his moped.
Also the scene where she talks about herself and says that often at movies she likes to see people's reaction is pretty cute.
The film is full of such day-to day moments which we can all associate ourselves with.
Also after watching the film with a few of my friends it was concluded that if there was an Amelie in our group it was me. Hence the film is a little extra special to me.
The cinematography of the film too deserves a special mention. There are only greens and reds used which give the film a distinctive look. Do notice it the next time you watch it.
Here are some trivia about the film:
The part of Amélie was originally meant for Emily Watson. She wanted the part but had to decline because she didn't speak French and had already agreed to be in Gosford Park (2001).
The photo booth picture collection is based on a real collection created by a friend of director Jean-Pierre Jeunet.
Director Trademark: [Jean-Pierre Jeunet] [orphans ] death of Amélie's mother. An orphan is considered to have lost both parents. As Amélie's father is still alive, she is not considered an orphan. However, Jean-Pierre Jeunet often portrays children who have suffered the loss of one or both parents.
Jean-Pierre Jeunet originally started collecting the stories and memories that make up the story in 1974.
The song played during Samantha's peepshow scene at the porn shop isn't included in the film's soundtrack. If you're looking for it, it's ''The Child'' by Alex Gopher.
The artwork in Amelie's bedroom (the dog with collar, the white bird) and her crocodile imaginary friend are by artist Michael Sowa.
The one-legged man tap dancing on the TV clip is 'Sam 'Peg Leg' Jackson' , a blues singer.
Some of the locations in the film can be found in Montmartre. The café 'Les 2 Moulins' can be found at the beginning Rue Lepic and the vegetable/fruit store 'Collignon' at 56 Rue Trois Frc<caron>res.
when Amelie is in the movie theatre, the scene from Father's Little Dividend (1951) is playing.
The main colors in the film (green, blue and red) are inspired in the paintings of the Brazilian artist Juarez Machado.
