Amelie (2001)

Amelie (2001)

Hello! This is my analysis on the film Amelie based on the three act structure for writing.

Act 1 – Set Up

The Act 1 started when the parents of Amelie was introduced. Her father is a doctor and her mother is an educator. Because her parents thought that she has a heart problem, her parents opted her to be home schooled by her mother. But the truth is, she’s just excited whenever her dad makes physical contact with her since she yearned for his attention. Amelie developed a wide imagination and became shy because of loneliness. Also, her mother was killed when a tourist committed suicide by jumping from a church and landed to her mom. Her dad isolated himself and when Amelie grew up, she left home and took a job as a waitress at a café. She also has simple happiness such as throwing pebbles at the water and digging her hand into a sack of grains. The café she’s working at was owned by an old woman and her workmates have peculiar characteristics. Her co-waitress has a suitor or stalker who always visit the café to check on her and the other one, who is in charge of the cashier, was very sensitive especially in terms of health.

It was on the day that news broke out about Princess Diana’s death that Amelie changed the way she lives her life. Upon seeing an old metal box filled with childhood memorabilia inside a small opening hidden by a tile in her bathroom, Amelie decided to bring it back to the owner and if the owner reacts positively into it, she will start doing good things. She asked for the information from the land lady whose dead husband cheated on her, the greengrocer who is mean to Lucien, his assistant and from the greengrocer’s parents. She tried looking for the owner until one time, her neighbor, the painter known as glass man, gave her the right information. When she’s at the train station, Amelie found a guy named Nino who keeps digging photos at a booth. Amelie returned the metal box anonymously to the owner and when she saw how happy the man was, she embarked on a mission to be a do-gooder. First, she urged her father to travel the world which he failed to do so when he was younger. She also did secret things for the people around her in hopes of making them happy. One night, Amelie decided to steal his father’s gnome to give it to her flight attendant friend for her to take pictures around the world with the gnome for Amelie to send to her father. When Amelie, went to the train station, she saw the man who’s looking at the photo booth and instantly fell attracted to him. But he chased someone and lost his photo album. Amelie took it and gained more interest in Nino. Amelie wanted to return it to him but she was painfully shy to do so.

Act 2 – Confrontation

Amelie, wanting to know Nino, decided to play a cat and mouse game with him upon returning the album. She found out that Nino works at a pornographic shop and at the carnival but only returned the album after Amelie set up a scheme that made Nino interested to her as well. Meanwhile, Amelie also set up her workmate, Georgette and the stalker-like customer together and telling them individually that they both secretly like each other. She also made letters to the land lady, framing that these lost letters were from her husband stating his love for her. She also plotted schemes to the mean green grocer, send recorded tapes to her neighbor and photos to her dad. Eventually, it seemed like Amelie made everyone around her happy, but Mr. Dufayel, the painter, reminded her to rethink of her own happiness. With this, Amelie resolved that she would meet Nino personally. She told him to meet her at the café but chickened out at the last minute.

Act 3 - Resolution

With this, Amelie got the help of her co-worker Gina to send him a note. Nino went back to the café and asked for Amelie but she’s not around, so Gina helped him. But, Josef, the stalker-like guy misinterpreted it that Gina was hanging out privately with Nino and Amelie heard it. Amelie became heartbroken. Although Gina and Nino both found out that they have similar characteristics and interest, Gina still gave Amelie’s address to him. Meanwhile, Amelie was baking a cake and is still devastated about her heartbreak. Nino went to Amelie’s apartment but was hesitant to let him in so Nino slipped a note under her door. Amelie also found a video tape. When she played it, it was from Mr. Dufayel, urging her to follow and fulfil her own happiness. With this, Amelie let Nino in the moment she opened the door and there began their relationship. The film ended with clips from the people around Amelie changed because of her secret acts like her father who’s going to start travelling, Mr. Dufayel finally moved on from the painting he tried perfecting for over 20 years and clips of Amelie and Nino riding the motor and is happily together.

My personal thoughts:

I was expecting an unconventional film with the likes of Love Me If You Dare but on the contrary, I liked this movie because of how unconventional yet charming the story is! Amelie is a likeable character and all the personalities of the characters are eccentric yet the way how they are established is clear and it what makes the film more interesting. Moreover, I like the symbolism and representation was used in the film especially the TV part where Amelie was watching herself when in reality, it was her contemplating on what to do in life especially to her father. I also like the dialogue, cinematography and music used in the film. The story development is also written very well in a way that an audience will not be confused even though there are many events happening at the side. There is a feel good vibe to the film that makes you think of whimsical ala Winky Wonka type. Overall, Amelie is not the conventional rom-com film but is so unique and likeable that it will be stuck into the minds of the audiences.

(all images were searched from google)

Thank you for reading!