Review of Delicatessen (1991) by Steff A — 28 Mar 2010

Life the Jean-Pierre Jeunet way! Say what you want about the guy but no one can turn a post-apocalyptic landscape into a bouquet of flowers quite that way!This is his first masterpiece before "Le Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain" and what a masterpiece it is! What's amazing is how Jeunet combines all the elements of this movie together. Pitch black comedy, sci-fi, comedy, romance, slapstick and musical. Oh, yes this movie even has some subtle musical, instrumental, pieces coming out of everyday items and situations. Something like an optimistic, up beat Dancer in the Dark. Also the movie offers an interesting collective of comical characters all acted to excellency with Dominique Pinon standing out in the lead role. Ah yes... Pinon... A Jeunet regular but never really showing his abilities like in this film. He brings a bit of laugh, a touch of innocence and a warm heart to the survivalist, cannibalistic, cartoon like tenement where it all goes down. All these work as an allegory to the world of today were really we should try living instead of surviving before turning into what the movie depicts as the tenement's tenants. This can only happen by laughing, making the best out of every situation and simply enjoying life for what it is.This is like a movie that should be adapted into a comic book instead of the other way around. Thank God that there are still amazing filmmakers like Jeunet that can carry out this eyes feast on film.

P.s.: Kudos to Caro also, the original comic-guy that helps Jeunet in his interprentation.