It was once said of Jim Carrey: “He can make you laugh with no more than the frantic flailing of his limbs”, and although his prowess as a physical comedian is impressive, it is nothing compared to the master, Charlie Chaplin.
This list of films has been compiled in a vein attempt to recommend those that share some of these aspects, but as we all know – there is no one quite like Amélie. More than anything though its quirks are grounded by an over-arcing theme of wanting to love and be loved, which in turn creates a warm feeling like no other.Īmélie is a comfort blanket for when the world is not quite okay, where the greatest antagonist is a beastly greengrocer. There are certain things that make Amélie the unique vision that is: its stylish, candy-coloured palette, Tautou’s child-like wonder and her intangible likeability as an actress, its twee quests and mysteries, scatterings of magic realism and post-modernism, as well as Yann Tiersen’s swooning soundtrack. Tautou, not wanting to be typecast her entire career, quickly sort not to replicate herself seeking roles as schemers (Priceless), plucky immigrants (Dirty Pretty Things) and a Sexy Lamp for Tom Hanks to talk to in mindless Hollywood fare (The Da Vinci Code). Jeunet’s work post-2001 cannot help but pale in comparison to his fizzy, life-affirming magnum opus. The problem with Amélie’s unique-ness is that there are no films that are truly comparable – Jeunet’s preceding films (Delicatessen, The City of Lost Children and Alien: Resurrection) toy with darker themes and, though masterpieces in their own right (apart from Alien: Resurrection, which is just really bad), are not as accessible or light-hearted as Amélie. She gains a certain enjoyment from cracking the top of a brûlée with a spoon, skimming stones, and giving inanimate objects holidays the actress that brings this iconic creation to life is the lovely Audrey Tautou.
The simple yet engrossing tale of a naïve French girl who acts as the personification of karma and deals out justified retribution to the evil and childhood memories to the good. Rarely is a film as life-affirming and singular as Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s La fabuleux destin d’Amélie Poulain (or as it is known in the English speaking world: Amélie).
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