Amélie (Le fabuleux destin d’Amélie Poulain] ***** (2001, Audrey Tautou, Mathieu Kassovitz, Rufus) – Classic Movie Review 218

The devastatingly skilled, appealingly gamine Audrey Tautou melts all hearts in the vivacious, quite adorable 2001 French romantic comedy charmer film from Jean-Pierre Jeunet.

The devastatingly skilled, appealingly gamine Audrey Tautou melts all hearts in this vivacious, quite adorable 2001 French charmer from Jean-Pierre Jeunet, the director of Alien: Resurrection (1997).

Tautou, then 25, plays an over-imaginative young Parisian woman, Amélie Poulain, who vows to bring happiness to other people, and sets about making their dreams come true. In the process she finds true love, with a man (Mathieu Kassovitz) whose picture she finds at a photo booth.

This is a deliciously sweet, lovely romantic comedy slice of whimsy, with a marvellous production (by Jean-Marc Deschamps), gorgeous cinematography (by Bruno Delbonnel), a delightful catchy Paris-influenced score (by Yann Tiersen), delicious set designs (by art director Aline Bonetto and set decorator Marie-Laure Valla) and inspired handling by director Jean-Pierre Jeunet.

The witty, clever screenplay is by Guillaume Laurant, based on his original screen story written with Jeunet.

Original title: Le Fabuleux Destin d’ Amélie Poulain.

Nominated for five Oscars, including Best Foreign Language Film and Best Original Screenplay, it failed to win any. Tautou wasn’t even nominated. Back home in France, it won four Césars, including Best Film, Director, Music and Production Design, but again nothing for Tautou (though she was nominated as Best Actress).

It also won Best Film at the European Film Awards, and two British Academy Film Awards, including Best Original Screenplay (Guillaume Laurant and Jean-Pierre Jeunet) and Best Production Design (Aline Bonetto), but again nothing for Tautou (though she was nominated as Best Actress).

A huge hit, it grossed $175 million worldwide against a budget of $10 million, and is one of the biggest international successes for a French film.

Tautou went on to star in Dirty Pretty Things (2002),  A Very Long Engagement (2004), The Da Vinci Code (2006), Coco Before Chanel (2009) and Thérèse Desqueyroux (2012).

A Broadway musical version was announced in August 2013 with a score by Dan Messe. It premiered at the Berkeley Repertory Theater in August 2015, opened on Broadway in March 2017 and closed in May 2017. A London production opened in 2020.

The film was re-released in UK and Irish cinemas in April 2026 to mark its 25th anniversary.

The cast

The cast are Audrey Tautou, Mathieu Kassovitz, Rufus, Lorella Cravotta, Serge Merlin, Jamel Debbouze, Claire Maurier, Clotilde Mollet, Isabelle Nanty, Dominique Pinon, Artus de Penguern, Yolande Moreau, Urbain Cancelier, and Maurice Bénichou.

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© Derek Winnert Classic Film Review 218
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