Search - Amelie on DVD

MPAA Rating: R Content Advisory: Brief Nudity, Adult Humor, Sexual Situations, Watch With Your Teen Movie Release: 2001 DVD Release: 07/16/2002 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV - Closed Captioned Edition: Dual Layered Audio Tracks: French Subtitles: English, Spanish SwapaDVD Credits: 2 Number of Discs: 2 Run Time: 2 hrs 2 mins Studio: Miramax Members Wishing: 53 Genres: Comedy, Romance, Romantic Comedy See Also: Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amelie Poulain, Amelie [Blu-ray]

One woman decides to change the world by changing the lives of the people she knows in this charming and romantic comic fantasy from director Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Amelie (Audrey Tautou) is a young woman who had a decidedly unusual childhood; misdiagnosed with an unusual heart condition, Amelie didn't attend school with other children, but spent most of her time in her room, where she developed a keen imagination and an active fantasy life. Her mother Amandine (Lorella Cravotta) died in a freak accident when Amelie was eight, and her father Raphael (Rufus) had limited contact with her, since his presence seemed to throw her heart into high gear. Despite all this, Amelie has grown into a healthy and beautiful young woman who works in a cafe and has a whimsical, romantic nature. When Princess Diana dies in a car wreck in the summer of 1997, Amelie is reminded that life can be fleeting and she decides it's time for her to intervene in the lives of those around her, hoping to bring a bit of happiness to her neighbors and the regulars at the cafe. Amelie starts by bringing together two lonely people -- Georgette (Isabelle Nanty), a tobacconist with a severe case of hypochondria, and Joseph (Dominique Pinon), an especially ill-tempered customer. When Amelie finds a box of old toys in her apartment, she returns them to their former owner, Mr. Bretodeau (Maurice Bénichou), sending him on a reverie of childhood. Amelie befriends Dufayel (Serge Merlin), an elderly artist living nearby whose bones are so brittle, thanks to a rare disease, that everything in his flat must be padded for his protection. And Amelie decides someone has to step into the life of Nino (Mathieu Kassovitz), a lonely adult video store clerk and part-time carnival spook-show ghost who collects pictures left behind at photo booths around Paris. Le Fabuleux Destin D'Amelie Poulain received unusually enthusiastic advance reviews prior to its French premiere in the spring of 2001, and was well received at a special free screening at that year's Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Audrey Tautou - Amélie
Mathieu Kassovitz - Nino Quincampoix
Rufus - Raphael Poulain (Amélie's father)
Yolande Moreau - Madeleine Wallace
Artus de Penguern - Hipolito (the writer)
Urbain Cancelier - Collignon (the grocer)
Dominique Pinon - Joseph

Audience and critics favorite, the Oscar nominated French film Amélie has been given the deluxe treatment by Miramax. This DVD has just about everything going for it, starting with a picture that is exceptional. The 2.35:1 anamorphic image recreates the intentional color scheme carefully created by director Jean-Pierre Junet. Those colors are vivid and well saturated and full of life, a perfect compliment for the film's subject matter. Flesh tones are also right on target. The sound, which is a French 5.1 Dolby Digital track, is centered more up front, but still does use the surround channels limitedly. Dialogue is clear, which is especially important not only for clarity of the language but also because the film employs a narrator for a large portion of the running time. Somewhat unexpected, Miramax has made this a 2-disc special edition with many supplements. Though not listed in the packaging, two commentaries are included on the first disc, though both are from Junet, one in French and the other in English. He has plenty to offer about the making of the film and is quite enthusiastic. The second disc contains the remaining extras, including a 13-minute featurettes on the look of the film, another short featurette called "Home Movies," separate Q&A's with Junet and with the cast and crew and an additional chat with Junet. Rounding things out are a storyboard comparison, cast auditions, outtakes with actress Audrey Tautou, the theatrical trailer and numerous television spots. As can be seen, this disc has enough to please not only the casual fan, but those that have fallen in love with this simple, yet smart, romantic comedy. ~ Trent Fordham, All Movie Guide