Attempt placing pure pleasure into phrases. The English language has loads of worthy adjectives and exquisite metaphors however nothing fairly comes shut to really, completely capturing what it feels prefer to be completely filled with happiness. To reverberate with delight. To drift on cloud 9. No, to adequately seize that feeling, you want extra than simply phrases. You need pictures, you want sounds, you want story. You want… Amélie.
Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, the 2001 fantasy romance not too long ago acquired a restricted version Blu-ray steelbook launch, and it felt like the right alternative to revisit a movie that has lengthy been considered one of my private favorites. I noticed Amélie in theaters when it was first launched and immediately turned obsessed. It had, and nonetheless has, an power, angle, and voice all its personal. Within the years that adopted, I watched it usually.
However, it’s been loads of years since then and to be sincere, I hadn’t seen it once more shortly. Throughout that point, the world has modified. I’ve modified. And after I popped in Amélie this week it hit me in methods I by no means imagined. From the very first moments, the place the movie begins to speak about random acts of magnificence taking place concurrently throughout France, a rush of feelings started flooding by me. May it have been the second glass of wine I used to be having fun with? For positive. And but from the primary body of Amélie you already know you’re in for one thing particular. One thing that, if you happen to’ve already skilled it, is sort of extra thrilling as a result of you already know what you’re in for: a cinematic curler coaster journey of snickers, love, and elation.
For anybody who perhaps hasn’t seen the movie, Amélie follows the lifetime of an introverted lady (performed with a contagious, infectious sweetness by Audrey Tautou) who finds function by serving to others through random acts of kindness. Amélie’s actions make everybody round her completely satisfied, however she’s nonetheless unhappy, so she tries to make use of the identical techniques on her crush, a person named Nico performed by Mathieu Kassovitz.
Amélie is a lot extra than simply that plot although. It’s a celebration of life. A reminder that the nice you set on the earth can and can come again to you. As Amélie strikes by Jeunet’s vibrant, lush Paris, you may’t assist however smile all the time. The movie is hilarious, candy, heartbreaking, and reaffirming, usually all of sudden. Each single character is totally relatable however wholly distinctive and particular. Every line of dialogue or piece of knowledge appears random but additionally completely correct and purposeful. Then, on prime of all that, Jeunet weaves in moments of fantasy enriching the world even additional. Work transfer, bedside figures converse, and other people soften into the ground, all including a degree of marvel to the already gorgeous world. You merely can’t watch Amélie and never really feel incredible. It captures so many hyper-specific however ultra-relatable slices of life whereas additionally constructing a world filled with magic and marvel.
These emotions coursed by me for all the rewatched. I grinned, I laughed, I usually wiped away tears as moments I really like and quoted rising up flickered by. Then, in the long run, when Jeunet actually amps issues up, I turned a blubbering mess. Most of that was as a result of the film does such a incredible job of creating you’re keen on everybody and every thing taking place on display in methods 99% of different motion pictures would by no means dream of. However a small half was additionally only a reflection of the world in the present day in comparison with nearly 25 years in the past. Issues are at all times tousled. Individuals are at all times unhappy. However watching a film this completely satisfied, this constructive, this obsessive about the fantastic thing about life made me take into consideration the nice issues in my life greater than I often do, and that was a present.
Life is tough, however it may be fairly stunning too. And that’s particularly the case if you happen to use a few of it to observe Amélie. It’s an ideal film. A celebration of all that’s doable and good on the earth instructed in a means you’ve by no means seen earlier than and will by no means see once more. I cherished it earlier than however, rewatching it once more, I find it irresistible greater than I even remembered.
The brand new Amélie steelbook is available here.
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