Originally posted by Damerval
It is hard to see such criticism about Amelie without thinking that the interested parties either didn't see it or simply didn't get it. Amelie is fraught with a thousand little ideas and generally copious amounts of perfect taste, which makes it a truly French film. One has to be French, or speak French fluently, I suppose, to fully appreciate the speed and brilliance of the dialogue. All frames are carefully balanced in their color and shape, with colors themselves telling just as much of the story as the words. Not to mention the first rate acting from all participants.
Amelie's story does not pretend to be original. It is a film, not a novel. The story is a canvas, not a picture.
I do have critiques about Amelie, but they are more subtle than the straightforward bashing I have read here.
Damerval,
Saw it, got it. Also, I took French in both high school and college and I'm not sure I had to speak the language or be French to get it. (Does this requirement invalidate every American comment, positive as well as negative?) And I've seen enough French films to identify their unfortunate similarities.
Actually, my post on "Amelie" was not intended as a knock, certainly not the "bashing" referenced. I enjoyed it and I certainly can appreciate its mastery of color and animation. It just struck me as slight--not a bad thing, just not the instant classic it seems to be regaled as. I suspect that its future status will be regarded as "precious."