Amelie

Literally translating as the Fabulous Destiny of Amélie Poulain, this is a story about Amélie Poulain. She stars as the lead in one of France’s most delightful and surreal comedies. Fans of French cinema will appreciate this foray into Amélie’s dreamlike world, while film buffs in general will enjoy the wonderful manner in which the film unfolds on the screen.

The film makes use of inventive camera angles and special effects to convey Amélie’s special take on life. The viewer is transported into her world, where the line between reality and fantasy is blurred. Amélie uses her unique gift to improve the lives of those around her, but upon realising that her life is incomplete Amélie finds herself incapable of using her gift to improve her own life, and this is where the film bounces off the screen and becomes truly spectacular. The film contains many interesting twists and turns that constantly surprise and enchant.

Audrey Tautou stars as the lead and is delightful throughout the film. She portrays the character in a relaxed and natural manner even when faced with the oddest of co-stars, computer generated and otherwise! Well known to the French audience, a winner of a Cesar in 2000, this was the film that introduced Audrey Tautou to the international scene. The director, Jean Pierre Jeunet, describes Audrey’s acting ability: In five minutes, she gave me the heart of the character, a petite young girl who would like to be a lady and will become a woman.