Diary

Lately I kept on running into references to this movie. It all started on a T&T-evening when I met someone called Amélie. She told me she named herself after the main character in this movie because Amélie inspired her so much.

Then I read the book "De laatste keer" by Kristien Hemmerechts. I don't think her work has been translated into English, so I'll give you a unique peek into Flemish literature... In this book the main character, Yoko Debondt, is persuaded to come along to the cinema:
"... 'This is the movie you need', is what David - friend David - said to me. 'Put on your coat. Follow me.' It was a movie to make you believe in people once again. And in love. [...] Afterwards I couldn't force myself to say what I really thought of it: a nice movie, no more than that. Walt Disney for grown-ups. Nothing like Cria Cuervos or The Third Man. 'You are a bit like Amélie Poulain,' I said teasingly. 'You always want to help people. Untangle their lives. Make the Sun shine. Interfere with their lives so that you don't need to think too hard about yourself...."

That last sentence clearly expresses the main theme of this movie: Amélie (Audrey Tautou) is an anonymous helper for dozens of people. You simply have to love her. She is pretty but modest. Charming but shy.
When she falls in love herself she gets into a predicament: She cannot continue covering herself in mysteries, if she wants to meet her loved one. Will she be able to conquer her fear for a real confrontation?

In Kristien's book Yoko steps into the same pitfall. She follows a woman she is attracted to into a shoe shop. She is mainly thrilled by beautiful women's feet. And beautiful feet require beautiful shoes. But the price! 6000 Belgian Francs! That is too much! Then Yoko takes an initiative: "...I grabbed into my purse and took out three 1000 franc notes. I put those on the nearest rack and put the shoe on it as a presse-papier. 'That way we will pay one half each', I said with my broadest smile. I opened the door, but before leaving the shop I said. 'Do me a favor and buy them. Those shoes are made for you.'
It was a pure Amélie Poulain, but an expensive one. I had been making fun of David too soon."

"Disney for grown-ups"? Jucky! I am a little allergic to Disney. But I did like the movie. I soon noticed, I had seen it once before, but that is not a problem! It is so beautiful what Amélie does for all those people. She even manages to help her own father, although he is living in a fantasy world and doesn't hear a word she says...
I enjoyed it once again. And I cried, of course...



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