Director Jean-Pierre Jeunet creates a charming film of fanciful delights in the most romantic of cities with his new film, Le Fabuleux destin d'Am‚lie Poulain (The Fabulous Destiny of Am‚lie Poulain). Certainly a stark contrast to his other movie, Alien Resurrection, the movie is more than just a clich‚ feel-good romance; it's a hilarious, yet at times heartbreaking, story that reminds us that there's something beautiful about a simple life. Although it is too idealistic and dreamy for our busy lives to relate to, one can vicariously enjoy the laid-back, fairytale-like fran‡ais lifestyle since it is neither too sappy nor trite.
But be careful: watching Am‚lie might just make you want to drop everything and fly to Paris. This lighthearted comedy is about the random and contagious life of Am‚lie Poulain (Audrey Tatou), a withdrawn and awkward Ally McBeal-type, who is irresistibly adorable and imaginative. Her desire to improve the lives of her unhappy neighbors and friends begins when she, as is typical of this movie, "accidentally" unearths an old tin box full of a boy's childhood toys. So excited by watching how life changes for its owner when she returns the box anonymously, Am‚lie ventures out to choreograph a series of anonymous altruistic pranks on almost everyone who comes in contact with her. Ranging from her corner grocer to the old homeless man in the metro to her co-worker's ex-boyfriend, this group seems like a bunch of unselfconscious oddballs. At first disconnected and arbitrary, they successfully fuse to create a milieu Am‚lie wants to transform.
With his and Guillaume Laurant's witty story about Am‚lie's amazing destiny, Jeunet activates a sense of magical realism. Well thought-out and fun to follow, Am‚lie is satisfying with its clever web of coincidences, great acting and stunning audio-visual effects.
