Review of Amélie (2001) by Adam D — 05 Dec 2013
Amélie, wow . . . I'm not really sure where to begin. What makes the film is easily the title character, Amélie. One side of her is innocent and sincere, the other crafty and devious, but she's never short on good intentions.
The film truly takes off after her revelation of sorts, in which she decides to live for the people around her. In one of my favorite scenes, she energetically takes a blind beggar by the arm and gives him a tour of the neighborhood, describing in loving detail the sights around them.
The scene is incredibly brief, but it leaves an imprint on you . . it's her that's leaving the imprint, really. She sees pain in others and works to alleviate it, sometimes with a slice of mischief.
As far as direction, stylistically the film is playful, but the message of living in the moment and taking opportunities as they come is sincere. My one complaint would be the romance that takes center stage at the end, mostly because I didn't feel the male lead was developed enough to make the love believable.
That being said, he obviously wasn't the point of the movie, yet I felt a lack of situational evidence to believe their relationship was indeed sweet and meaningful, and not just built on over-the-top breadcrumb trails or ready-made serendipity.
Just a touch more on the substance end would have made this an unforgettable film.
This review of Amélie (2001) was written by Adam D on 05 Dec 2013.
Amélie has generally received very positive reviews.
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