Amelie [M]

Amelie Poulain lives in Paris and in a world of her own. An introverted woman with an extroverted imagination, Amelie believes that she can twist the fate of others by affecting the smallest changes in their environment. So she sets out to give the lonely and unloved a new lease on life, taking some time to skim stones and make plans to win the heart of her one true love. 

As I am slowly beginning to watch foreign movies, I figured Amelie would be a lovely place to start, as it is one of the most talked-about world movies. It’s a wonderfully quirky and slightly off-centre romantic comedy that I find very heart-warming and completely wonderful. 

Amelie Poulain lives in Paris and in a world of her own. An introverted woman with an extroverted imagination, Amelie is obsessed with the small pleasures in life such as cracking crème brulee with a teaspoon, plunging her hand into a sack full of grain, and skimming stones across a river. One night she makes a discovery that causes her to have an epiphany. With this vision of good in mind, Amelie sets out to give the lonely and unloved a new lease on life, taking some time to skim stones, punish the wicked, open the eyes of the cowardly, and win the heart of her true love. 

What I really love most about this film is the message of how the slightest alteration can grow and epically change the course of the future. It really is that old image of a how a tiny stone dropped into a river can create such big and perfect ripples. It’s a really simple and beautiful message. 

Audrey Tautou stars as Amelie and she is completely mesmerising. I think Audrey is one of the most beautiful women on the screen today and I was completely captivated watching her in this film. She delivers a performance that is both comedic, but at the same time somewhat tragic, and she brings a special type of innocence to the character. She positively lights up the screen and makes this film a delight from start to finish. 

Also starring Mathieu Kassovitz, Rufus, Lorella Cravotta, Serge Merlin, Jamel Debbouze, Isabelle Nanty, Dominique Pinon, and Yolande Moreau, Amelie is a wonderfully quirky romantic comedy filled with simple pleasures and a big heart. It’s the truth universally known that the best things come in small packages and this film is the visual truth to that statement. I love this movie!