On Feb. 12, the Global Film Festival, sponsored by the Office of International Student Services and the High Library, screened the 2001 romantic comedy “Amélie” in Gibble Auditorium.
The film is a part of a series of films programmed by Kristin Syrdahl, director of International Student Services, and Louise Hyder-Darlington, access services librarian of High Library.
The French film, directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, is set in Montmartre, a hill in northern Paris, France. It tells the story of Amélie Poulain, who tries to better the lives of her coworkers, neighbors, family and complete strangers. While Poulain focuses on helping others, she struggles with her own introversion and loneliness.
What shines through the film is its own commitment to its whimsical style. The historical district of Montmartre, known for its residence of notable artists such as Renoir and Picasso, serves as the backdrop for the warm, nostalgic scenery. The unique architecture, faded pastel colors, small cobblestone roads, long sloping landscapes and bustling citizens add to the flavor that’s packed in every scene.
The film opens with a narration of Poulain’s early life, going as far back as her conception. It is part of the quirky template the film holds itself to. It all seems like a story told by someone with an overactive imagination, which reflects Poulain’s character. As a child, the only kind of physical contact she has with her father, a retired military doctor, was when he would give her a yearly checkup. Poulain longed to be hugged, but the most intimate form of parental love she received from her father was his stethoscope checking her heartbeat. It was still enough to make her heart rate jump, which led to the deduction that she had a heart defect, unfit to go to school or play with children.
Despite the sad mistake, the film presents this with innocent naivety and comedic timing. For example, the narrator explains long lists of what her interests and pet peeves are to exhaustion. It’s a trait that reinforces a major characterization of Poulain’s, which is the eccentric randomness that she embodies. Another major point of her character is her overactive imagination. Pictures, paintings, mirrors, any animate object with a face talks when she’s in distress or in need of advice.
The plot centers on Poulain’s dedication to help others, like returning a box of childhood memorabilia to its owner or helping a blind man cross the road while giving him vivid descriptions of everything around him and her own budding love story.
She becomes enamored with a strange man that collects discarded photo booth photos and creates an elaborate game of cat-and-mouse for them to meet each other. However, when he collects all the clues and finds her, she is reluctant to meet him. She must take the emotional journey of grabbing what life has to offer her instead of focusing on others’ problems.
The whole story is rich with beauty, character and style. In a genre that can seem bland and predictable, “Amélie” effortlessly strives to be unpredictable while staying refreshingly entertaining. The movie displays the eccentric quirkiness of the characters by using flashbacks, asides, narrations and inner thoughts. The seemingly random events assemble that create a harmonious ending, giving the story a fairy-tale quality with hints of surrealism. The film emphasizes characters who often go unnoticed, such as a reclusive old neighbor, a scorned widower and a disabled grocery store assistant. The film gives them delightfully idiosyncratic characteristics.
The Global Film Festival will be screening “The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert” on March 12.
