Review of Amélie (2001) by Karen S — 20 Aug 2013

Director Jean-Pierre Jeunet opens the film with Amelie as a toddler, entertaining herself with silly little things that bring a relatable and nostalgic essence to the audience's childhood. Throughout the film, Jeunet does a fantastic job through his powerful use of filmography to put the viewer in Amelie's shoes and have us feel what Amelie is going through.

As the movie progresses, we find that at age six, Amelie's father mistakenly diagnosis her with a heart defect and is declared unfit for the traditional public school. Being home schooled by her mother, Amelie grows up without many playmates.

Amelie copes with her childhood lonliness by enduring the little things in life while also adapting a shy, timid personality. Amelie seeks a life in solitude as she continues to enjoy the simple pleasures life has to offer in her adult life, but others might say she is just an outcast.

Amelie, however, develops a new hobby after finding a hidden box full of a past resident's childhood memories. With the help of Amelie' neighbor, Raymond Dufayel, she finds the owner and returns it anonymously and in a corky kind of way that makes the reunion, of the man and his box, completely unexpected but joyful as the audience sees the jubilant expression of the grown man's face through Amelie's eyes.

Since then, Amelie begins to adapt creative strategies to help those around her to find happiness, such as her dad, her landlord and her neighbor Dufayel. One day, however, she finds an album full of torn up photo booth strips and becomes fascinated and interested with the thought that someone takes joy in collecting these photos.

She grows fond over the owner of the album and later finds out information about the owner to return it. Amelie thinks of more creative strategies to return the album and set up a casual meeting with the owner.

Struck by love, Amelie fails to meet the owner of the album face to face. Her neighbor, Dufayel, born with delicate bones, has been confined in his home for most of his life and slowly teaches Amelie that her bones aren't fragile like his.

Dufayel warns Amelie that her heart will grow to become as dry and brittle as his skeleton if she continues to live the unfulfilling life she is living. The film isn't simply about a socially awkward woman, it's about getting out of your comfort zone and getting out there into the real world to work for the things you want in life without being afraid to find out that what you want doesn't turn out to be what you thought it would be.

This is what makes the film so powerful, relatable, and enjoyable because everyone has their insecurities and doubts just like Amelie. This film will make you laugh, fall in love, and even make you cry though its powerful plot.