Amélie (or Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain)

Starring Audrey Tautou, Mathieu Kassovitz, Dominique Pinon, and many other French people

Amelie, a quiet, shy waitress at a cafe in Paris, discovers something that moves her to dedicate her life to helping other people in finding happiness. But with each life that she touches, she realizes that she hasn't been brave enough to find happiness for herself. The film is filled with laughter, tears, and a colorful slice of Paris.

I like the French title much better - The Fabulous Destiny of Amelie Poulain. Americans are afraid to title movies with more than two or three words,and it seems that a movie gains more of a magical quality if it's just one word. Oh well.

This is a film. Our friend Amy insisted that we needed more foreign films on our list. Well, here you have it, Amy! A foreign film.

It's a good film too. There are subtitles, or as the French say, "sous-titres". If you're not a fan of subtitled movies, I would still recommend giving this one a chance, especially if you're a woman. Guys, this is really a chic-flick. It's no La Femme Nikita.

The only negative criticism I have about the movie is that it uses nudity for spice. There were quite a few scenes that used nudity unnecessarily. Sure, it makes for a bit of a rush, but if you don't care to see it, then it detracts from the movie - er, film. Some might argue that it's artistic. Tell me, why did Nino Quincompoix have to work in a porno shop? I could think of a ton of other bizarre occupations that would have suited his character just as well, and quite possibly better, thereby cutting out some of the questionable material. In fact - gr. I'm probably going to have to remove the Google Adwords from this page because it will hone in on the words "nudity" and "porno". See how those things spoil it all!? Maybe they don't spoil it, but they keep it from getting 5 stars.

I love the music from Amelie. It's very light and entertaining.

Lastly, I liked the use of colorful visual effects in this movie to illustrate the imaginations and emotions of the characters.

So, if you can ignore some French women flashing their sous-titres, give Amelie a chance. You'll enjoy it.

Jonathan's review is spot-on. However, apart from the nonsensical nudity, there is a sweet innocence about this movie that is unmatched in anything I've seen. The reason this film was so widely appreciated is it's precious look at life. "Good" people are rewarded, "bad" are punished - often hilariously - and everyone in between is touched by the sheer wonder of the world around them.

Amelie is filled with imagination, and we, the viewer, get taken on a wild ride. The editing, the coloring, the filming, the acting - absolutely everything is flawless. This is the kind of movie that makes wannabe movie-makers wannabe even more.

This isn't a casual viewing movie. It's an experience. This isn't one you want to sit down with someone who doesn't want to give it their full attention. This one deserves a viewer who is willing to watch a film with subtitles, and who will allow themselves to be engrossed in its magic.

I would recommend Amelie to anyone who loves movies, to anyone who can handle subtitles, and to anyone who has a thirst for the unconventional.