“Amélie” introduces audiences to a new, mythical Paris in an array of cherry reds, forest greens and mustard yellows. A world where quaint cafes are around every corner, the Metro is spotless and strangers are bubbling with mystery. 

Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, the film was released in France in 2001 where it quickly gained global attention with its vibrant and unique nature. 

After growing up with a strange, isolated childhood, Amélie Poulain moves to Paris where she works as a waitress in a cafe. It isn’t until she learns about the death of Princess Diana of Wales that she is sent on a mysterious adventure to return a lost, cherished item. 

Once she gets the taste of doing good deeds, Amélie devotes her life to help others and bring them happiness. She never puts herself first until she encounters Nino, a boy attached at the hip with his photo album. 

Amélie must then decide if she should risk opening herself up to companionship or continue her life of anonymous benevolence. 

The audience is taken through this story by a narrator, voiced by André Dussollier, that not only gives us context and inner thoughts from Amélie, but also quips throughout that accentuate the eccentric nature of the film. 

Even the lines from Amélie that are directed at the camera give the film an intimate energy that makes the viewer feel even more tied into the story world. 

Audrey Tautou portrays Amélie with a charming, peculiar disposition created by even just a glance or twitch of the lips. Her soft spoken nature pulls the audience in as we attempt to unravel the mystery that she created around herself. 

The ensemble cast of characters shines in their own ways as they assist in the building of the weird, vivid world of the film. As each one floats in and out the film, a collage of fun, distinctive characters is developed along the way, rounding out an amazing supporting cast. 

What makes this film so special is that Amélie appears realistic, but simultaneously fantastical; she makes her whimsical, colorful life seem tangible.

This film encourages you to bring out the happiness in the little things just as Amélie does like cracking the top of crème brûlée or skipping stones. 

“Amélie” perfectly captures those exhilarating yet apprehensive feelings that come with falling in love with shots and symbolisms that personify those sparkly emotions. 

This is a film about finding a balance between isolation and love; what it means to remain a mystery or let someone enter your universe. 

Even when you believe that you’re better off alone, there always may be that one person who seeps through the cracks of the wall you built around yourself. 

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