# Film: Amelie
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-amelie/93354
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [November 14, 2001, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-amelie/93354 "2001-11-14T18:27:37Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@magdalene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magdalene)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2001, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-amelie/93354/1 "2001-11-14T18:27:37Z")
I can’t recommend this film enough. I saw it at the Chicago International Film Festival and again on Sunday.
For anyone who wants to discuss:
Is it me, or did they speak French clearly enough that even my high-school French ear could understand?
Is the actress not the cutest prototypical French girl in the world?
I thought it was very different in tone and style from Jeunet’s other works (City of Lost Children, Delicatessen, and er, Alien IV) but had the same imagination, aesthetics, and whimsy. I thought the sex scene in the coffee shop was a nice little _homage_ to Delicatessen (remember the preview?)
So please, go see it! And then come here and tell me what you thought.
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### Author:  [@Daowajan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daowajan)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2001, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-amelie/93354/2 "2001-11-14T18:36:48Z")
What’s it about?? I want to see it!
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### Author:  [@magdalene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magdalene)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2001, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-amelie/93354/3 "2001-11-14T18:43:18Z")
It’s about an introverted young woman in Paris who decides one day to perform anonymous acts of kindness for people around her and watch the effect on their lives. She tries to become an unseen “good fairy”, but gradually these acts pull her out of her shell and force her to confront the world and her own life.
I don’t think that’s any more spoilers than any review would give out. Go see it!
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### Author:  [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2001, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-amelie/93354/4 "2001-11-14T21:58:54Z")
I’ve been reading about this film, magdalene, and I want to see it too! I’ve seen a photo of the actress, and you’re right, she’s a cutie. TIME magazine was comparing her to Audrey Hepburn. Hopefully it will be shown around here sometime soon.
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### Author:  [@Caprese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caprese)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2001, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-amelie/93354/5 "2001-11-14T22:17:42Z")
I really enjoyed **Amelie**.
It is charming, quirky, funny, sweet. I suppose it romanticizes Paris a bit, but did it so _well._
I loved the coloring of the film, it was like a storybook.
I loved the mystery of the photobooth man!
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### Author:  [@MoodIndigo1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MoodIndigo1)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2001, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-amelie/93354/6 "2001-11-15T07:07:48Z")
I posted about this movie some time ago, on this thread:
[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=95302](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=95302)
It is a great movie.
A friend pointed out to me that this movie was discussed on the Death Valley Driver Wrestling board. If wrestling fans love it, it has to be good, right? Definitely a confirmation that this is no chick flick, in spite of the impression you might get from reading a mere plot summary.
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### Author:  [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2001, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-amelie/93354/7 "2001-11-15T08:01:33Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by magdalene \*
> \*\*I can’t recommend this film enough. I saw it at the Chicago International Film Festival and again on Sunday.
\*\*
I probably won’t get a chance to see this film until it comes out on DVD. Since I moved away from Dallas there are no movie theaters that play these kinds of movies. The only foreign film to play in this town was Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon.
I don’t know why but the trailer really made me want to see the movie and I really didn’t have a big idea of what it was about. It is the only trailer in many moons that made me want to see the movie.
Marc
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### Author:  [@ricksummon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ricksummon)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2001, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-amelie/93354/8 "2001-11-15T08:25:35Z")
You know, this movie makes me realize just how idiotic movie ratings can be sometimes. I mean, here you have this sweet little romantic comedy with a few sex scenes and maybe about 4 seconds worth of nudity, and it gets rated R, while movies with people having their eyeballs gouged out or their still-beating hearts ripped out of their chests get a PG-13! Just what are we “protecting” children from anyway?
Anyway, I thought this movie was very good. I even went to a French restaurant before seeing it! 🙂
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### Author:  [@Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bad_News_Baboon)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2001, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-amelie/93354/9 "2001-11-28T12:00:19Z")
WOW!
just saw it.
Its my new favorite movie.
I loved the story and the presentation of the film.
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### Author:  [@divemaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/divemaster)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2001, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-amelie/93354/10 "2001-11-28T13:27:43Z")
I also liked this movie.
I don’t guess that adds anything to the discussion, but thought I’d get my vote in.
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### Author:  [@freckles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckles)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2001, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-amelie/93354/11 "2001-11-28T13:37:09Z")
I saw the movie too and I thought it was one of the best movies of the year so far, I don’t think any praise I could give it would do it justice.
And **Caprese** , I also loved that part with the photoboth man, very clever.
I can’t wait to see it again 🙂
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### Author:  [@Daowajan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daowajan)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2001, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-amelie/93354/12 "2001-11-28T18:51:59Z")
I saw it too!
One word:
Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.
Adorable movie. Really.
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### Author:  [@Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Violet)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2001, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-amelie/93354/13 "2001-11-28T19:25:52Z")
I want to see this soon because I love the Montmarte section of Paris. But on the other thread MoodIndigo1 indicated that it might not be the real Montmarte. Will still see it.
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### Author:  [@Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bad_News_Baboon)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2001, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-amelie/93354/14 "2001-11-28T20:23:01Z")
I was really captivated by the collage feel to the film.
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### Author:  [@magdalene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magdalene)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2001, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-amelie/93354/15 "2001-11-28T20:49:36Z")
Violet - it’s an ultra-stylized and romanticized Montmartre. You might recognize some of the real thing in it, though - not like Montmartre needs a lot of work to become romantic and beautiful.
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### Author:  [@Geek\_Mecha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geek_Mecha)
#### Post date: [November 29, 2001, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-amelie/93354/16 "2001-11-29T12:40:14Z")
I haven’t taken a French class in two years, but I understood a lot of what was said. Surprised myself quite a bit there.
Anyhoo, I liked this movie a lot. You hear the words “cute”, “charming”, and “quirky” a lot when it’s described, and that might make you hesitant about seeing it. But it’s all those things in a _good_ way.
I liked the ‘likes’ and ‘dislikes’ thing in the beginning, I liked the story of Amelie’s “heart problem”, and I liked the way she tortured the fruit stand owner for being mean to his employee. (Can you tell I’ve forgotten their names? Yeah, didn’t think so.)
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### Author:  [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)
#### Post date: [November 29, 2001, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-amelie/93354/17 "2001-11-29T15:21:49Z")
I must have a good buzz round here, because there was a line going down the block to get in to see it (at the artsy theatre across from my office) last night. Haven’t seen a line like that for a movie since Microcosmos.
I want to go, but i am not sure I can talk Mr. Cranky into it. I made him go see “The Closet” with me a few months ago, and I am not sure what his yearly quota of French Movies With Subtitles is.
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### Author:  [@Jet\_Black](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jet_Black)
#### Post date: [November 29, 2001, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-amelie/93354/18 "2001-11-29T21:50:14Z")
In short, this is a WONDERFUL film. I recommend it highly.
To make my case, a friend and I saw this film. We were looking for a parking space, and spotted one. Soon as we parked, a woman jumps out of her car claiming she was trying to get the very same space. She was furious, nearly red. We said, sure whatever, it’s just a parking space, be our guest. We got the next one three cars down.
Turns out the same lady was going to see the same film as us. My friend even had to stand in the popcorn line with this woman. At the end of the film we crossed paths again, but this time she smiled and waved.
My guess…this “feel good” film helped her a bit. To what degree, and for how long? Who knows, maybe a few minutes…or until she blows up over the next parking space.
Still…watch this movie, you’ll feel like doing something nice for somebody, too. You can feel like a kid again…often rethinking what’s important in our lives.
Jeunet’s work is clear as ever, and again captures the absurd, making it funny, real, and touching all at once. I nearly cried during some scenes.
Jet Black
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### Author:  [@Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bad_News_Baboon)
#### Post date: [November 29, 2001, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-amelie/93354/19 "2001-11-29T23:05:20Z")
funny, I noticed that too:
all were smiling coming out of the theater.
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### Author:  [@quasar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/quasar)
#### Post date: [March 30, 2003, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-amelie/93354/20 "2003-03-30T16:06:19Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by magdalene \*
> \*\*Violet - it’s an ultra-stylized and romanticized Montmartre. You might recognize some of the real thing in it, though - not like Montmartre needs a lot of work to become romantic and beautiful. \*\*
We will be watching Amélie on my French class (which is why I’m reading old threads concerning the film), but after seeing the **Montmartre** reference several times on this thread, I am puzzled as to what exactly is this place. Much to my shame, I had never heard of it before. Any insights for my ignorant soul?
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