It was quite by chance that yesterday, while browsing TV Channels, I stopped at UTV World Movies to watch the Frech movie 'Amélie' . I found the movie to be a classic. Very subtle depiction and a flowing story line makes this movie indeed special.
'Amélie' is the story of simple and innocent young girl (played by Audrey Toutou of the Da Vinci Code Fame). Amélie lives alone in Paris and works as a waitress for living. She is a young woman who lives a solitary life after her mother's death and subsequently, her father leaving the child for another woman. Following a couple of failed romances, she now contemplates living life in the simplest way, often deriving pleasures from an imaginative and a fantasy life.
The story takes a turn on the evening of 31st August 1997, when she hears the death of Princess Diana, and shocked she is, accidently drops a bottle on to the floor and accidently loosens a wall tile. The tile, opens a small chest to her, and she finds an old metal box with lots of childhood stuff hidden in it. Thinking probably, that the stuff belonged to some child who lived in her apartment before, she now decide to track down the child (now a grown up man) and make him happy. She then take a resolve to devote her life to help bring change and happiness in other people, if she succeeds in tracking this guy out and helping him with childhood stuff.
With the help of another reclusive neighbour of her - a painter, Raymond Dufayel - she manages to track the guy down and hands him the metal box. Upon opening the box, the the guy (now a grown up man) cries as his childhood memories comes flooding back to him. In a flashback, we are told how the man has been estranged from his parents and family and is gives her the word that he will soon unite himself with his estranged family.
This positive effect in the man changes Amélie and she now starts doing good for others, changing the lives of people around her all the while, struggling with her own isolation. And one final time, Amelie decides someone has to step into the life of Nino another lonely character, to change his life for good. In the climax, painter Dufayel, with his insightful advice and friendship towards Amelie, discuss their lives and she is forced to look within, with regard to her own life. She discovers she is smitten by NIno, and the film ends with Amélie shedding her shyness deciding to unite with Nino.
It is indeed a heart-warming movie, original and hillarious at times, Amelie is a movie worth repeated watch. The conflict within Amelie is the highpoint of the movie. A delight to watch, Audrey Toutou carries the movie all alone, She is magnificent and winsome to the core and so is the Movie. Not to miss the next time UTV World movies telecasts it. Watch it, and you will end up smiling a lot.
Pic Courtesy :- metaphilm.com
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