Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.5

Amélie Blu-ray Movie Review

"The fool looks at a finger that points at the sky."

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown March 28, 2024

Born to eccentric parents and raised in relative isolation in 1974, Amelie Poulain (Audrey Tautou) develops a wild imagination as real to her as the world she begins to encounter upon leaving home at eighteen. Mischievous but always well-intentioned, she sees magic in the mundane and finds pleasure in the simplest of things... like an old time-capsule of a box she finds that belonged to a boy who once lived in her apartment building. She suddenly realizes her life's purpose -- to make others happy -- beginning with Dominique Bretodeau (Maurice Bénichou), the owner of the box, who is so moved by the memories he had forgotten that he reconciles with his daughter. Amelie's meddling soon evolves into Rube Goldberg-esque machinations, as she aims to improve the lives of everyone from her neighbor, an artist with brittle bone disease named Raymond (Serge Merlin), to her cafe co-workers Joseph and Georgette (Dominique Pinon and Isabelle Nanty), the concierge of her building (Yolande Moreau), a cranky grocer (Urbain Cancelier), and even her father (Jacques "Rufus" Narcy), whose coldness and inaccessibility throughout her childhood left her profoundly changed. But more than anything, she desires true love, desperately trying to connect with Nino (Mathieu Kassovitz), a quirky young cafe patron who collects photographs and longs for love as well. Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet and narrated by André Dussollier, the five-time Oscar-nominated film also stars Lorella Cravotta, Clotilde Mollet, Claire Maurier, Artus de Penguern, Jamel Debbouze, Michel Robin and Andrée Damant.

"A woman without love wilts like a flower without sun."

Click here to read Jeffrey Kauffman's 2011 review of the film, which he calls "a completely quirky outing that combines inventive and captivating production design with a decidedly anti-Hollywood approach to a standard three act, overly structured storyline." Going on to write, "like its breakout star Audrey Tatou, Amélie is full of charm and a sort of innocent sex appeal, idiosyncratic and singularly eccentric and even more than a little bit odd at times."

Amélie Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

While initial reports suggested that the 2024 Sony Steelbook release of Amelie would feature a new 2K remaster, it actually appears to be minted from the same 2.35:1 master as the 2011 Lionsgate release, albeit with a new 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer. Not that I'm complaining. The film has aged beautifully, as has its presentation. The only thing remotely outdated are some of the film's CG effects (Amelie melting is especially antiquated) but, other than showing the compositing seams more today than thirteen years ago, it rarely amounts to a distraction. Colors are bold and striking, despite a heavy lean towards red, amber and green hues. Skin tones follow suit, only occasionally looking lifelike, but it's all in keeping with Jeunet and cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel intentions. Contrast is dialed in nicely, black levels are deep and rich (without sullying delineation), and detail is excellent, with a keenly resolved veneer of grain that remains largely consistent and altogether unobtrusive throughout the film. Fine textures are quite revealing, often in spite of the dreamlike hazes and splashes of softness that frequent Amelie's imagination, and edges are well defined, with only the slightest hint of barely-there haloing eagle-eyed viewers may spot in a handful of shots. Add to that virtually zero instances of artifacting, banding or other unsightly business and you have a transfer that impresses, regardless of whether or not it's the product of a remaster (which, to my eye, doesn't seem as if it could offer the upgrade some fans are envisioning).

As to why the film hasn't been remastered in 4K, there is a likely explanation. While the original film elements could presumably be restored to 4K glory, the FX were created in 2K, meaning no 4K elements of the final film actually exist. Perhaps the wonders of AI will one day make such things a problem of the past, but for now, this is functionally the best we can expect for Amelie and shouldn't be greeted with accusations of being a lesser effort. I'll of course update my review if information to the contrary comes to light.

Amélie Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Sony's release features the same French-language DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track as the 2011 Lionsgate edition, and that's a very good thing. Short of a whirlwind Atmos upgrade (don't hold your breath), Amelie continues to sound as wonderful today as it did in theaters. Perhaps more so. Dialogue and narration is clean, intelligible and warmly embedded in the soundscape. The rear speakers, meanwhile, are subdued one moment, only to erupt with impish activity the next, leading to a soundfield as playful and involving as its heroine's adventures. Likewise, LFE output is subtle but suddenly oh so necessary to the impact of the mix, lending weight and presence to elements that might simply flit about in the wind of Amelie's imaginings. Dynamics are spot on, fidelity is flawless and, as far as I can tell, all the filmmakers' intentions have been honored.

Note: the disc's English and English SDH subtitles are a crisp white (as seen in this screenshot), rather than a glaring yellow as they were in the 2011 Lionsgate release. They look notably better, not to mention more legible and eye-pleasing atop the amber-hued image.

Amélie Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The new Sony Steelbook release of Amelie includes all of the previously released features that appeared on the 2011 Lionsgate edition. However, it also offers up a new retrospective featurette with Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Is it worth the 2024 price of admission? Read on...

• NEW: Jean-Pierre Jeunet (HD, 5 minutes) - Well that's disappointing. Rather than offering newly created extras that offer reflection and insight into one of the great international films of the early 2000s, we get this short -- very shot -- director's featurette in which Jeunet briefly reminisces about the making and reception of the film. Sweet but little more than fluff.

• Audio Commentary - Far better is Jeunet's previously available audio commentary. He can be a bit difficult to understand at times, but thankfully the track includes optional English subtitles. He also tends to tumble down tangential rabbit holes, yet all of it remains endearing, engaging and entertaining. He suggests his commentary might ruin the film but quite the contrary; his thoughts and musings only make Amelie seem that much more an avatar of her creator.

• The look of Amelie (SD, 13 minutes) - Cinematography, aesthetics and visual flair are used to enhance the story rather than merely stylize Amelie's adventures in meddling, as detailed in this dated but informative featurette.

• Q&A with the Director (SD, 24 minutes) - A two-part American Cinematheque interview from 2002.

• Q&A with the Director and the Cast (SD, 6 minutes) - Quick highlights from a screening Q&A.

• An Intimate Chat (SD, 21 minutes) - Another subtitled archive interview with Jeunet.

• Home Movie: Inside the Making of Amelie (SD, 13 minutes) - A behind the scenes featurette.

• Scrapbook (SD) - Four galleries offer behind the scenes photos, French poster concepts, storyboards and, best of all, photos from the gnome's far-flung travels.

• Storyboard Comparisons (SD, 1 minute) - A quick-hit storyboard reel.

• Screen Tests (HD, 5 minutes) - Featuring Tatou, Yloande Moreau and Urbain Cancelier.

• Fantasies of Audrey Tatou (HD, 2 minutes) - Outtakes.

• Trailer (HD, 1 minute)

Amélie Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Amelie is a wonderful, at-times breathtaking film that nimbly avoids precociousness while fully embracing its odd, delightfully invasive title character's every whim and scheme. "It's all the more amazing, then," Kauffman writes in our original 2011 review, "that Amelie is so quietly effective and easily entertaining." Adding, "this is a film which almost incessantly pushes stylistic bounds in an exuberant manner, but which never loses sight of the fragile girl at the center of its story." Sony's Blu-ray edition may be a bit too similar to its 2011 Lionsgate predecessor (at least for those who were hoping for a full remaster or significant upgrade), but it's nevertheless a must-own release. With a striking video transfer, involving French DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track, and solid complement of extras, it justifies its price tag and, oh yeah, features one of the best films of the early 2000s. Not too shabby.