Amélie
i love this movie. i think it's what falling in love feels like. i'm fresh off watching this movie but I already want to rewatch it, there's so many cute details I want to go back to.
it combines so many of my favorite ideas, concepts, and all in a way that feels so genuine - it's an absurd romantic comedy, it's creative in its structure and cinematography, with its storytelling at the forefront. the movie is so great at conditioning you to be ready for everything it throws at you. from the start it tells you to think bigger about smaller things: "On September 3, 1973 6:28 pm and 32 sec. a blue fly of the Calliphorides species, whose wings can flutter 14670 times per minute landed in Saint-Vincent Street, Montmartre. " and everything is important.
it uses crazy hooks at the beginning and at certain other important points that would normally feel relatively pointless, but it's very clear to see the echoes of these ideas throughout, and they are expanded upon at the perfect moment for me. its subplots are perfectly balanced and paced, and I found myself rooting for each of them. I really wish more movies could capture the wonderful feeling that amelie helping the blind man across the street does.
it's very similar in style to wes anderson, but something i've tended to lack from his movies is a very distinct focus. this movie delivers on that, while not feeling so rigid on style that it can't let scenes happen. wes anderson is great though, i just find that this direction of storytelling is more vivid for me.
"do you believe in miracles?""not today." - this movie has such a real heart to it and taste in its dialogue. i never once felt like anyone was acting ridiculous, especially amelie despite her being a very strange person. she's so me.
as the movie progresses, more and more signs point to amelie's romance. but, of course, I think you understand her shyness immediately.
i had an entire joke written about "oh im french i wake up in my french clothes and go to my french town square to watch the french guilltine. vive la france" but the setting is so great it makes me actually like france which is INSANE. some of the bad reviews i saw were just jokes because it's such a great movie but had french "people" - there is something to be said about it being unrealistic (and not reflecting the diverse people of france) but i don't think it's an issue. it's entire focus is on the little things of every person, the movie doesn't care if you're different.
it has very distinct romcom tropes, but it's rooted in its heart, ingenuity, and solid structure that it's just so easy to love.
my opinions might change, but this was such an amazing movie experience that i can't see it depreciating much in my mind. i could keep talking, but I'll leave it here.