A refreshing, charming classic! 

After her mother’s unfortunate death (crushed by a tourist who committed suicide), Amelie (Audrey Tautou) is only left surrounded by fantasy, growing up. As a child, she stayed in her room and relied on vivid daydreams for entertainment. Now, a 23-year-old waitress in Paris, she rarely leaves her apartment, unless it’s to go to work or visit her disinterested father. Finding it hard to relate to others, Amelie instead treasures the small, whimsical details life brings. She comes across a box of old toys and decides to set herself a mission of returning it to its rightful owner. She decides that if this is to work, she will dedicate herself to enriching the lives of others.

Following just one viewing of this artistic masterpiece, you will feel refreshed, and inspired to imitate Amelie’s kind actions to those around you, as well as crave to view it repeated times. Driven by powerful characterisation rather than narrative, along with a great script, results in a film that contains divine substance. As for the setting, it is beautiful, emphasised by the stunning cinematography resembling somewhat of a colourful postcard. To add to this, the musical score, “Comptine D’ un Autre Ete composed by Yann Tiersen, is one of my favourite film scores of all time – I could listen to it for hours! The cast of support actors are all memorable, but Tautou’s performance is exceptional.

Utterly unique from any romantic comedy you will ever see, Amélie is charming in all the ways it wants to be, engraving a smile on your face from the very beginning. This is a film that exceeded expectations on the first viewing, and one to revisit time and time again. If you are looking for something quirky and unique, Amélie is a must-watch! I simply cannot recommend it enough – one of the most beautiful films out there, story and cinematography alike!