Reviewed 10/10/01
Ah, the great Subtitles debate. I have never really understood why some movie fans are put off by subtitled films.
The simple truth is, that films with subtitles are just like any other. Some of them are really good, and some are terrible. This one is really good.
It comes from Jean-Pierre Jeuneut, the director of Delicatessen, The City of Lost Children, and Alien Resurrection. Bit of a departure that last one, but this is a return to the style of the first two, but without the grim overtones.
It is hard to describe the film without using terms like magical, fantastical, and surreal. But none of these get across the point, that the film is heart-warming, and very funny.
There are lots of great set pieces, and a whole bunch of gags that would not be out of place in a Monty Python film. There are also scenes which tug at your emotions, but not in a wholly manipulative way. Amelie's innocence comes from the fact that her parents were emotionally distant, and so she had to create her own magical world to inhabit. It is this wonder and joy that she tries to bring into the lives of others.
This is a proper feel good film, whose aim is simply to make you feel good.
8/10
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