Amélie: Love, Loneliness, and a Lot of Charm

adventure, romance

2:09

2001

Review by Brandon Talks Movies on May 19, 2017

Times are hard for dreamers.

You know Revenge of the Nerds? Amélie is Revenge of the Emotional Introverts. Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet (Delicatessen, The City of Lost Children) and starring Audrey Tatou and Mathieu Kassovitz, it’s a film of immense beauty and feeling, and the story it tells gratifies the soul. The movie, like the titular character, fixates on the little things that bring people joy and seeks to bring joy to everyone. It’s more of a feeling movie than a thinking movie, but it’s done so masterfully that it brings out the romantic in everyone.

The plot focuses on Amélie Poulain, a tender and painfully shy young waitress in Paris. Due to some childhood trauma, she has trouble connecting with other people, although she has always longed for human attachment. One day, she finds a way to anonymously bring joy to a stranger and reconnect him with his past, which sets her on a journey to improve the lives of the people she meets. Along the way, she falls in love with an equally quirky young man named Nino Quincampoix. Amélie quickly discovers that it’s far easier for her to bring joy to others than to find it for herself, which she struggles to overcome.

She doesn’t relate to other people. She was always a lonely child.

Amélie is just about as charming as a movie can get. The art direction, the traditional French music, the mildly awkward situational comedy, and the character of Amélie Poulain are instantly likeable. Although sad at times, it’s a movie that will leave you feeling happy and fulfilled. Amélie acts as a cosmic karma police force, rewarding good people with joy, and occasionally punishing bad people in amusing ways. And it manages to do all of this in a way that’s not so sugary-sweet that you can’t take it seriously. It’s a feel-good movie with great emotional depth, and that is no easy feat.

Though Amélie focuses on joy and love, the movie is at its core about loneliness. That is the main struggle Amélie faces, and she has some frustrating failures when trying to honestly connect with others. In that sense, she’s an instant hero for the emotional introverts who face the same inner conflict. She does find her happy ending, which is even sweeter after all of the self-inflicted struggle she endured.

Should I Watch Amélie?

Amélie is an uplifting movie with more than enough passion and artistry to satisfy even people who say they don’t like uplifting movies. The movie is in French with English subtitles, but I never felt a break in the immersion. I’d recommend this movie to anyone, and especially those with a more emotional outlook on life. And if you need a pick-me-up, this movie will undoubtedly get the job done.

Movies Like Amélie

Big Fish (2003) - This has a similar fantastical style and heartwarming story with a depressing core, but unlike the quintessential French style of Amélie, Big Fish is thoroughly American. On his deathbed, an old man, Ed, connects with his son and tells him of his adventures growing up and meeting his wife. If you dig beneath the fairy tale-like story, though, we find that Ed wasn’t the best father or husband. His family finds the value and meaning in even his imperfect life.
Chocolat (2000) - Another sweet, stylized, and romantic story set in a small French town. A single mother opens a chocolate shop, and as the conservative townsfolk try her sweets, they discover their own passions and joys in life. Like its namesake, the film can be a little sugary sweet at times, but it’s a fun watch, and the art style is similar to Amélie.
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013) - This similarly tells the story of a timid person with a rich inner life and a vivid imagination. Walter Mitty is comfortable in his small life, but a dramatic change in his life sets him off on an adventure around the globe. In the beginning, Walter’s inner thoughts are exaggerated and larger-that-life, but as he becomes more adventurous, he discovers that a vibrant life is more fulfilling than a vibrant imagination.

Academy Awards

Nominee: Best Screenplay, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Sound, Best Foreign Language Film

Runtime: 2:09
Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Year: 2001
Genres: adventure, romance
Rating: R

About Brandon

My name is Brandon, and I love movies. Not bad ones, though—just the good ones. I’m curating and reviewing a list of classic, essential-viewing, or just plain good movies from all decades, and I've been reviewing them since 2016. I also co-host Peculiar Picture Show, a podcast about movies and mental health and write about Dungeons & Dragons options, builds, and optimization.

Amélie: Love, Loneliness, and a Lot of Charm

Should I Watch Amélie?

Movies Like Amélie

Academy Awards

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