Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain (2001)

User Rating:

8.6/10   

Director:

Jean-Pierre Jeunet

Writers:

Guillaume Laurant (scenario) and
Jean-Pierre Jeunet (scenario) ...
(more)

Release Date:

25 April 2001 (Belgium)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

One person can change your life forever.

Plot:

Amelie, an innocent and naive girl in Paris, with her own sense of justice, decides to help those around her and along the way, discovers love.

Plot Keywords:

Love | Waitress | Garden Gnome | Hypochondriac | Happiness

Awards:

Nominated for 5 Oscars. Another 51 wins & 46 nominations

Cast

Audrey Tautou	...	Amélie Poulain
Mathieu Kassovitz	...	Nino Quincampoix
Rufus	...	Raphaël Poulain
Lorella Cravotta	...	Amandine Poulain
Serge Merlin	...	Raymond Dufayel
Jamel Debbouze	...	Lucien
Clotilde Mollet	...	Gina
Claire Maurier	...	Madame Suzanne - la patronne du café
Isabelle Nanty	...	Georgette
Dominique Pinon	...	Joseph
Artus de Penguern	...	Hipolito
Yolande Moreau	...	Madeleine Wallace
Urbain Cancelier	...	Collignon
Maurice Bénichou	...	Dominique Bretodeau
Michel Robin	...	Mr. Collignon
Andrée Damant	...	Mrs. Collignon
Claude Perron	...	Eva
Armelle	...	Philomène
Ticky Holgado	...	L'homme dans la photo
Kevin Fernandes	...	Bretodeau enfant
Flora Guiet	...	Amélie enfant
Amaury Babault	...	Nino enfant
André Dussollier	...	Narrator / Récitant (voice)
Eugène Berthier	...	Eugène Koler
Marion Pressburger	...	Petites mains au générique
Charles-Roger Bour	...	L'homme à la vespasienne
Luc Palun	...	L'épicier d'Amandine
Fabienne Chaudat	...	La femme dans le coma
Dominique Bettenfeld	...	Le soivin d'Amélie
Jacques Viala	...	Le client qui humilie son ami
Fabien Béhar	...	Le client humilié
Jonathan Joss	...	The Humiliated Customer's Son
Jean-Pierre Becker	...	Le clochard
Jean Darie	...	L'aveugle
Thierry Gibault	...	Le client aux endives
François Bercovici	...	Son copain
Franck Monier	...	Dominique Bredoteau jeune
Guillaume Viry	...	Le S.D.F.
Valérie Zarrouk	...	Dominique Bredoteau femme
Marie-Laure Descoureaux	...	La concierge du mort
Sophie Tellier	...	La tante Josette
Gérald Weingand	...	L'instituteur
François Viaur	...	Le patron du bistrot
Paule Daré	...	Son employée
Marc Amyot	...	L'inconnu des photomatons
Myriam Labbé	...	La cliente du tabac
Jean Rupert	...	L'opéré des cloisons nasales
Frankie Pain	...	La marchande de journaux (as Franckie Pain)
Julianna Kovacs	...	Une cliente de l'épicerie
Philippe Paimblanc	...	Le contrôleur du train
Mady Malroux	...	Les jumelles
Monette Malroux	...	Les jumelles
Robert Gendreu	...	Le client du café
Valériane de Villeneuve	...	La femme qui rit
Isis Peyrade	...	Samantha
Raymonde Heudeline	...	La caissière du train fantôme
Christiane Bopp	...	La femme près du manège
Thierry Arfeuillères	...	L'homme statue
Jerry Lucas	...	Le petit garçon du Sacré-Coeur
Patrick Paroux	...	Le souffleur de rue
François Aubineau	...	Le facteur de la concierge
Philippe Beautier	...	Le facteur de Poulain
Karine Asure	...	La jolie fille du rendez-vous
Régis Iacono	...	Félix L'Herbier
Franck-Olivier Bonnet	...	Palace Video (voice)
Alain Floret	...	Le mari de la concierge (voice)
Jean-Pol Brissart	...	Jacques Grojean (voice)
Frédéric Mitterrand	...	Himself (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Manoush	...	Nymphomaniac woman
Dean Baykan	...	(uncredited)
Joan Bennett	...	Ellie Banks (uncredited) (archive footage)
Clément Chebli	...	(uncredited)
Rudy Galindo	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Valérie Labro	...	(uncredited)
Jean-Michel Larqué	...	Himself (voice) (archive footage) (uncredited)
Federico Martín Bahamontes	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Thierry Roland	...	Himself (voice) (archive footage) (uncredited)
Sister Rosetta Tharpe	...	Herself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Jacques Thébault	...	Voice-Over (voice) (uncredited)
Spencer Tracy	...	Stanley T. Banks (uncredited) (archive footage)

Directed by
Jean-Pierre Jeunet

Writing credits
Guillaume Laurant		(scenario) and
Jean-Pierre Jeunet		(scenario)
Guillaume Laurant		(dialogue)

Produced by
Helmut Breuer	....	co-producer
Jean-Marc Deschamps	....	producer
Arne Meerkamp van Embden	....	producer: Germany
Claudie Ossard	....	executive producer
Claudie Ossard	....	producer

Original Music by
Yann Tiersen

Cinematography by
Bruno Delbonnel

Film Editing by
Hervé Schneid

Casting by
Pierre-Jacques Bénichou
Valerie Espagne
Alberte Garo

Production Design by
Aline Bonetto

Art Direction by
Volker Schäfer

Set Decoration by
Marie-Laure Valla

Costume Design by
Madeline Fontaine
Emma Lebail

Makeup Department
Véronique Boitout	....	hair stylist
Reynald Desbant	....	hair stylist
Virginie Duranteau	....	hair stylist
Vesna Estord	....	makeup artist
Dominique Galichet	....	makeup artist
Karina Gruais	....	makeup artist
Jacques-Olivier Molon	....	special makeup effects artist
John Nollet	....	key hair stylist
Myriam Roger	....	hair stylist
Nathalie Tissier	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Nicolas Davy	....	assistant unit manager
Jean-Marc Deschamps	....	production manager
Eric Duchêne	....	unit manager
Marc Grewe	....	unit production manager
Alain Mougenot	....	unit production manager
Sophie Vermersch	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Sylvain Bressolette	....	trainee assistant director
Thomas Parnet	....	trainee assistant director
Pascal Roy	....	second assistant director
Christophe Vassort	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Jean-Marc Auriol	....	painter
Michèle Bataille	....	painter: "Renoir -Le déjeuner des canotiers"
Karin Beizler	....	painter: Cologne
Jörg Bergen	....	props: Germany
Britta Bogers	....	painter: Cologne
François Borgeaud	....	propman
Pascale Bouillot	....	painter: "Renoir -Le déjeuner sur l'herbe"
Claudin Brackhagen	....	painter: Cologne
Reiner Brüggen	....	carpenter: Cologne
Wolfgang Gosberg	....	carpenter: Cologne
Alain Guais	....	dressing props
Gregor Hees	....	carpenter: Cologne
Herbert Hees	....	sculptor: Cologne
Daniel Kolarov	....	assistant art director
Kerstin Krötz	....	props: Germany
Delphine Mabed	....	first assistant art director: Germany
Delphine Mabed	....	painter: "Renoir -Le déjeuner sur l'herbe"
Fabrice Maux	....	chief painter
Anja Merz	....	carpenter: Cologne
Jacques Pélissier	....	art department assistant
Jörn Quel	....	carpenter: Cologne
Stefan Quentin	....	construction coordinator: Germany
John Rawsthorn	....	carpenter: Cologne
Hélène Rey	....	art department trainee
Thorsten Sabel	....	set dresser: Cologne
Lorenzo Sartor	....	carpenter: Cologne
Britta Sassmannshausen	....	painter: Cologne
Volker Schäfer	....	set decorator: Cologne (as Volker Schaefer)
Ralf Schwamborn	....	props: Germany
Nane Stegat	....	painter: Cologne
Marie-Laure Valla	....	set buyer
Dagmar Wessel	....	set dresser: Cologne
Mathieu Junot	....	assistant art director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Jean-Philippe Angelini	....	post-synchronization assistant
Vincent Arnardi	....	sound re-recording mixer
Marilena Cavola	....	sound editor (as Marilena Cavola Hardy)
Sophie Chiabaut	....	sound
Stéphane De Rocquigny	....	post-synchronization assistant (as Stéphane de Rocquigny)
Michel Filippi	....	post-synchronization engineer
Gérard Hardy	....	sound editor
Laurent Kossayan	....	sound effects
Jean-Louis Lebras	....	boom operator (as Jean-Louis Le Bras)
Jean-Pierre Lelong	....	sound effects editor
Guillaume Leriche	....	sound re-recording mixer
Mario Melchiorri	....	assistant sound effects editor
Frank Mettre	....	sound mixer
Igor Thomas-Gerard	....	assistant sound editor
Jean Umansky	....	sound
Alexandre Widmer	....	sound editor

Special Effects by
Jean-Baptiste Bonetto	....	special effects
Noel Chainbaux	....	special effects
Solena Collignon	....	digital special effects
Séverine De Wever	....	special effects coordinator
Yves Domenjoud	....	special effects supervisor
Olivier Gleyze	....	special effects
Daniel Lenoir	....	special effects
Delphine Le Roch	....	special effects coordinator
Jacques-Olivier Molon	....	special effects crew
Jacques-Olivier Molon	....	special effects technician
Marc Paccosi	....	digital special effects (as Marco Paccosi)
Thierry Reymonenq	....	special effects
Jean-Christophe Spadaccini	....	special effects: second unit
Edouard Valton	....	special effects production manager

Visual Effects by
Jérôme Arthuis	....	grading coordinator: Duboicolor
Christophe Belena	....	I/O technician
Christophe Belena	....	scanning and conforming technician
Michael Belin	....	digital grading assistant
Lucie Bories	....	digital compositor
Andre Brizard	....	digital compositor
Alain Carsoux	....	visual effects supervisor
Stéphanie Dargent	....	digital matte painter
Thierry Delobel	....	digital compositor
Stephane Dittoo	....	digital artist
François Dupuy	....	digital processing technician
Thomas Duval	....	shooting supervisor
Xavier Fourmond	....	compositing supervisor
Afif Heukeshoven	....	3D artist
Alexandre Kolasinski	....	digital compositor (as Alex Kolasinski)
Didier le Fouest	....	colorist
Didier le Fouest	....	digital grading
Mathieu Le Meur	....	digital compositor
Bruno Le Provost	....	digital matte painter
Jeremie Leroux	....	digital artist
Tina Lin	....	scanning and conforming technician
Olivier Revillon	....	digital matte painter
Jean-Paul Rovela	....	3D supervisor
Antoine Simkine	....	visual effects executive producer: Duboi
Michael Sowa	....	matte painter
Georges Tornero	....	digital compositor
Daniel Trujillo	....	digital compositor
Daniel Trujillo	....	digital effects artist
Pierre Villette	....	digital matte painter
Jean-Marie Vives	....	digital matte painter
Veronique Zylberfain	....	matte painting artist

Stunts
Rémi Canaple	....	assistant stunt coordinator
Rémi Canaple	....	stunts
Patrick Cauderlier	....	stunts
Pascaline Girardot	....	stunts
Jean-Claude Lagniez	....	stunt driver
Sébastien Lagniez	....	stunt driver
Sébastien Seveau	....	stunt driver

Camera and Electrical Department
Matthieu Bastid	....	first assistant camera
Thomas Brügge	....	electrician: Germany
Bruno Calvo	....	still photographer
Olivier Cazzitti	....	electrician
Dominique Colin	....	camera operator
Kenneth Cornils	....	best boy grip: Germany
Stefan de Leuw	....	assistant camera: Germany
Olivier Delpy	....	grip
Patrick de Ranter	....	Steadicam operator
Robert Dona	....	grip
Bruno Dubet	....	key grip
Eric Dupressoir	....	grip
Jean-Christophe Duwez	....	electrician
Vlasta Kostic	....	electrician: Germany
Georgi Lazarevski	....	assistant camera
Sophie Lelou Mollard	....	electrician (as Sophie Mollard)
Dominique Lepage	....	grip
Beatrice Mizrahi	....	director of photography: second unit
François Paumard	....	assistant camera
Christophe Perotin	....	second assistant camera
Yvan Quehec	....	electrician
Michel Sabourdy	....	chief electrician
Thomas Sidopoulos	....	grip
Ludovic Simeon	....	video assistant
Joel Spinola	....	electrician
Andreas Theiner	....	electrician
Laurent Thiery	....	grip
Thierry Tronchet	....	assistant camera
Timo von Burgsdorf	....	electrician: Germany
Richard Weber	....	best boy
Jörg Widmer	....	Steadicam operator
Kareem La Vaullée	....	Steadicam operator (uncredited)

Casting Department
Patricia Van	....	casting assistant
Jean-Pierre Jeunet	....	voice casting/plaque (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sylvie Bello	....	assistant costumer
Clémentine Darros	....	trainee costumer
Véronique Élise	....	assistant costumer

Editorial Department
Céline Kélépikis	....	assistant editor
Lionel Kopp	....	director of post-production
Yvan Lucas	....	color supervisor: Duboi
Yann Malcor	....	assistant editor
Sophie Vermersch	....	post-production assistant

Music Department
Edouard Dubois	....	musical advisor (as Edouard Du Bois)
Jacques Smerlak	....	executive music producer
Randy Spendlove	....	executive in charge of music
Yann Tiersen	....	musician (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Werner Ahrendt	....	driver

Other crew
Aurore Ader	....	digital laboratory assistant
Christophe Antonin	....	unit assistant
Chantal Bégasse	....	production secretary
Stéphane Bourdon	....	weapons
Gilles Caussade	....	financial director
Laurent Clavier	....	research and development
Christophe Colter	....	transfer technician
Marie-Laure Compain	....	production secretary
Deborah Coucoux	....	digital processing trainee
Frédéric Daugeron	....	party organizer
Luc Desportes	....	trainee
Stephane Deverly	....	research and development (as Stéphane Deverly)
Sébastien Guyomard	....	technician
Rip Hampton O'Neil	....	director of technology
Nicole Heitzmann	....	production administrator
Alexandre Jeanneret	....	digital processing technician
Abdel Ali Kassou	....	digital processing technician
Aude Lemercier	....	location scout
Christophe Maratier	....	weapons
Eva Neufahrt	....	accountant
Nicolas Nicole	....	digital processing trainee
Frank Niemann	....	intern: Germany
Svetlana Novak	....	production assistant
Corinne Saglio	....	assistant production accountant
Isabelle Sauvanon	....	press attache
Torsten Schneider	....	intern: Germany
Robert Spina	....	intern: Germany
Olivier Tubach	....	research and development
Tommaso Vergallo	....	director: digital laboratory
Anne Wermelinger	....	script supervisor

Thanks
Frédéric Mitterrand	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Claudie Ossard Productions (presents) (as Claudie Ossard)
• Union Générale Cinématographique (UGC) (presents) (as UGC)
• Victoires Productions (co-production)
• Tapioca Films (co-production)
• France 3 Cinéma (co-production)
• MMC Independent (co-production)
• Sofica Sofinergie 5 (in collaboration with) (as Sofinergie 5)
• Filmstiftung Nordrhein-Westfalen (supported by) (as Filmstiftung)
• Canal+ (participation)

Distributors

• UGC-Fox Distribution (UFD) (2001) (France) (theatrical)
• TF1 Vidéo (2002) (France) (DVD)
• Albatros Film (2001) (Japan) (theatrical)
• BIM Distribuzione (2001) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Buena Vista International (2002) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Cinema Mondo (2001) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Dendy Films (2001) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Filmcoopi Zürich (2001) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Filmladen (2001) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Kulturföreningen Kedjan (2001) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Lumière (2002) (Brazil) (theatrical)
• Miramax Zoë (2001) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Paradiso Entertainment (2001) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Prokino Filmverleih (2001) (Germany) (theatrical)
• TVA International (2001) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Triangelfilm (2001) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Vértigo Films (2001) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Albatros Film (2002) (Japan) (DVD)
• Fox Life HD (2007) (Japan) (TV)
• Gativideo (2002) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Gativideo (2002) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Imagem Filmes (2002) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Miramax Films (2001) (USA) (all media) (subtitled)
• Momentum Pictures (2001) (UK) (all media)
• Pan Vision (2007) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Paradiso Home Entertainment (2002) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Sandrews (2002) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures (2002) (Germany) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Duboi
• Duran Duboi
• Les Versaillais

Other Companies

• Duran Duboi  digital intermediate
• Onkel Tuca FilmDecor  set construction: Cologne
• Virgin France  soundtrack

Also Known As:

Amélie (France) (working title) (International: English title) (USA)
Amelie (Australia) (UK)
Amélie des Abbesses (France) (working title)
Amelie from Montmartre (International: English title)
Amelie of Montmartre (International: English title) (festival title)
Die fabelhafte Welt der Amelie (Germany)
The Fabulous Destiny of Amelie Poulain (USA) (literal English title)

MPAA:

Rated R for sexual content.

Runtime:

122 min | France:129 min

Country:

France | Germany

Language:

French

Color:

Black and White | Color (Duboicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Taiwan:R-12 | Malaysia:18PL | Malaysia:U (cut version) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Hungary:16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Belgium:KT | Brazil:14 | Canada:14A | Chile:14 | Denmark:7 | Finland:K-11 | France:U | Germany:6 (bw) | Ireland:15 | Netherlands:AL | Norway:11 | Peru:14 | Philippines:PG-13 | Portugal:M/12 | South Korea:15 (video rating) (cut) | South Korea:18 | Spain:T | Sweden:7 | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R | Singapore:M18 (DVD rating) | Singapore:R(A)

Filming Locations:

Abbesses, Paris 18, Paris, France

Company:

Claudie Ossard Productions

Trivia:

The part of Amélie was written specifically for Emily Watson. She wanted the part but had to decline because she didn't speak French and had already agreed to be in Gosford Park (2001).

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: Technically, the fact that there are New VW Beetles in the streets of Paris in 1997, even though the car was not widely available in France until the summer of 1998, is an anachronism. It was, however, deliberate - Jean-Pierre Jeunet thought the car reflected the "sweet and amusing personality of Amélie".

Quotes:

[first lines]
Narrator: On September 3rd 1973, at 6:28pm and 32 seconds, a bluebottle fly capable of 14,670 wing beats a minute landed on Rue St Vincent, Montmartre. At the same moment, on a restaurant terrace nearby, the wind magically made two glasses dance unseen on a tablecloth...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Monster (2008) (V)

Soundtrack:

Adagio for Strings

A nice little film

Rating: ***1/2 out of ****

What a fun film! From the moment it begins, "Amelie" bursts with joy and energy. It's a fable of sorts, a love letter to a Paris fondly dreamt of by many. It may not be the real world, but it is such a delightful fantasy that it doesn't matter how unbelievable some of it may be. "Amelie" is the rare romantic comedy that has both the romance and the comedy. It isn't very surprising that this has been a hit in France for a while now, and I have no doubt it will find the audience it needs in the States as well.

Amelie Poulain (Audrey Tautou) is a nave girl working at the Two Windmills Caf. When she was a child her mother and teacher was an innocent victim of a suicide gone awry. Amelie stayed with her father until she was old enough to leave and lead a life of her own. One day she finds a small box of treasures behind a tile in her wall, she decides to return it to her owner and become a natural do-gooder. Later on, she catches a man groping for lost photos under a photo booth (Nino Quincampoix, played by Mathieu Kassovitz), and it's love at first sight. She decides to go on a quest to find this man and help anyone she can along the way (including her father and co-workers).

I said before that this film was a love letter to Paris, it is also a love letter to Amelie herself. Jean-Pierre Jeunet (director and co-screenwriter) conjured the film like a dream, as if Amelie is his dream girl and he is trying to save her and bring her to a happy ending. It's not hard to want everything to work out for her and her friends. Amelie Poulain is the kind of person who you wish was your best friend, your neighbor or your sister. She bounces along with good grace and whimsy living life to its fullest, yet keeping a mischievous grin. She has her own idea of justice that isn't very disagreeable. The tormentors must in turn be tormented; the lifeless must be brought to life. The film is like a non-musical "Bells Are Ringing", with our heroine bringing so much life to those around her but neglecting her wants and needs.

After seeing Audrey Tautou as Amelie, I can't possibly imagine anyone else in that role. She embodies Amelie like no one else could, she is a rare find that pulls off the job of breathing life into Amelie in spades. Wait, I take that back. She does not just breathe life into Amelie, Tautou makes her jump off the screen and pull the audience into the story. It would be a crime for her not to get a Best Actress nomination for her role.

Magical is the world that Amelie lives in, where photos and lamps come alive to aid her quest, where TV shows are showing nothing but her story. The story this setting surrounds is pretty standard, and presented plainly could have just been another machine-processed romantic comedy. Is it too sappy? No. On the contrary, the film takes quite a few steps to make sure it doesn't become tacky or conventional. The rich, storybook setting and a witty screenplay (asides are taken to deepen our connection each character, little things that each likes and dislikes) make the film all the more a delight to watch. The cinematography, crafted by Bruno Delbonnel, does wonders for "Amelie". The camera captures the action with an eye of a child in a candy store, beautifully bringing about each shot as a new discovery.

With films like "The Widow of Saint-Pierre", "With a Friend Like Harry" and box-office hit "Brotherhood of the Wold", French cinema has had quite a year. It's a delight that we round off the year with "Amelie", a fresh, funny journey that could have easily just been more Meg Ryan-esque romantic comedy fodder. If not for anything else, see it for Tautou's performance, but prepare to be smothered in a dream world.