Impish gamine Amélie (Audrey Tautou) lives alone and works in a café. When she finds a trove of toys hidden for 40 years behind a baseboard in her apartment, she’s inspired to repatriate the items, an impulse of generosity that sparks more benevolent acts. A celebration of life, Amélie reminds us of the small wonders that abound around us … if only we paused to look.
In recommending this film, the book “1001 Films To See Before You Die” says this is a sweet Parisian travelog about two hearts finding each other. For me there were some funny sightgags. In fact the review in the book suggests that we really should watch two other films by the writer/director Jean-Pierre Jeunet, namely, “Delicatessen” (about Parisian cannibals) and “The City Of Lost Children” (a mad scientist literally steals children’s dreams).
Adapted from the Japanese original, director Hayao Miyazaki’s adventure tale won the Best Animated Feature Oscar for its story of 10-year-old Chihiro (voiced by Rumi Hiragi). During her family’s move to the suburbs, Chihiro wanders into a magical world where a witch rules — and those who disobey her are turned into animals. When her parents are turned into pigs, Chihiro must find a way to help them return to their human form.
This is not your mother’s Walt Disney, far from it! When I first saw this film (recommended by both “1001 Films to See Before You Die” and The “NY Times 1000 Best”), I also was “spirited away”. If you have never seen a Miyazaki animated film, and you are willing to watch an animated film, you have a new experience in store. Imagine a scene of normal-sized characters intruded upon by a GIGANTIC baby that throws destructive temper tantrums. Brace yourself!
