To revisit Amelie after nearly 20 years was to be immediately transported to the time when I fell in love with international cinema. This was one of the foundational movies for me as Director Jeunet opened my eyes to the unbelievable craft and artisanship involved in a well-made film, regardless of country of origin.
And it ages so well. The characters jump off the screen as if somehow Jeunet was able to create a 3D picture book that pops out of the Television. The world of Amelie Poulain is modern Paris but told through the eyes of someone who has created a slightly altered reality limited only by her imagination. The supporting cast are all tuned just Β½ a point away from being real - that Β½ point representing Amelieβs take on their personality - and they are cast to perfection. The music is supportive and dramatic in either its whimsy or darkness depending on Amelieβs mood. And, on top of all of this, the story is intricately woven so that, despite a back and forth between dialogue and narration, not a single word seems wasted. Even the minute details given about the charactersβ likes and dislikes set the stage for a critical moment where we all discover together just how perfect of a companion Nino will make for our dear Amelie.
Quickly on the character herself. One of the reasons I find this film to be so endearing is because creating this character of Amelie is a masterclass in balance. Any more quirky and she would have been a caricature and unbelievable. Any less committed to her unique way of interpreting reality through her imagination and it would have felt like sloppy character development. Jeunet and Laurant have created a truly timeless character who I am confident will live on forever as a rite of passage for dreamers to experience.
Thank you, M. Jeunet, for allowing us to share this experience with you and for the dedication and attention to detail that went into every frame of Amelie Poulain.
The biggest criticism towards the 2001 biographical movie is how much of a cluster**** miscast Jennifer Love Hewitt is. Does not look like her at all and her acting so bad. Even though I completely agree, I personally do defend Hewitt because she has a tough act to follow in a role of trying to portray a cinema Goddess (esp since in this case pretty much one who is a contender as the greatest movie star who ever lived). Even when superb actors give an outstanding performance, criticism will still follow and they will almost always feel awkward as seen in Cate Blanchett as Katherine Hepburn in The Aviator esp if you are a big follower of that specific starlet. And in that specific example, Blanchett even won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress as Katherine so its telling how colossal a task it is to try to become a new living portrayal of a legendary movie star (and still get criticized from long time fans even if your performance is so good you got an Oscar)............ So while Jennifer Hewitt's performance was so damn mediocre attempt to portray who Audrey was and she definitely should not have been hired because her looks are nothing at all like Audrey, I'll be the first to defend her because of how insane the task is. The TV movie should not have been made period with the cheap budget they had and even today I still think no one can attempt to portray Audrey accurately onscreen..............
That said one of the things reviewers state is that Audrey Tautou should have been hired for that movie role because she's the closest thing to resembling Audrey Hepburn. I will for a brief moment refute that claim.When The Audrey Hepburn Story was aired on TV, Tautou just started her career. She was practically just started her career. She may have been praised for Venus Beauty Institute and given an award for Best Newcomer but that movie was in French and only available in Europe at the time. She was basically a nobody at this point even in continental Europe and was just seen as a young starlett with lots of potential in her native France. Her first international role that attracted attention worldwide was Amelie which was released in 2001 a year after The Audrey Hepburn Story aired. Thus making criticisms of The Audrey Hepburn Story for hiring Hewitt and not Tautou so off. Because at that point she was simply a starting actress in France who didn't get any major Box Office Hit, even in French cinema. Hell in countries that talk English (in particular
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