First Take Classics: Amélie- the film that began a foreign film revolution

SYNOPSIS-

Amélie is an innocent and naive girl in Paris with her own sense of justice. She decides to help those around her and, along the way, discovers love.

It’s hard to believe that in the last 20 years or so French cinema has made a resurgence of sorts, and this effort from Jean-Pierre Jeunet is one of the reasons why- it’s a romcom with a hell of a difference.

Not only is Jeunet’s direction bold, provocative and rather pioneering for a film of this kind, but it also harks back to the surrealness of the New Wave films of the 1960s- regular readers will know that I adore that era of filmmaking. With a great script from Guillame Laurant, some masterful cinematography from Bruno Delbonnel, and a very moving score from Yann Tiersen, the technical credits alone are worthy of the 5 Oscar nominations this film recieved.

Then, we have the cast, and it goes without saying that Audrey Tautou’s perfomance is iconic in and of itself, and paired with the very likable supporting lead in the form of La Haine’s director Mathieu Kassovitz, the pair and a great ensemble cast are able to create true big screen magic that arguably paved the way for a new generation of foreign language films to take their rightful place in cinemas around the world.

THE VERDICT

A very moving love letter to the French way of life, Amelie is a rare film that exudes the timeless qualities of what cinema is all about- evoking emotion and telling relatable stories. I loved this film, and I don’t think I need to say more than that.

RATING: 5/5