No, nothing to do with the 2001 Amélie. I hadn't heard of this hand-drawn adaptation from a book until its nomination for Best Animated Feature. For once, I went to a theater at a time I'd normally be having lunch, figuring I wouldn't be too hungry after 78 minutes.
In 1969, Amélie is born the third child to Belgian parents staying in Japan. For her first two years, she is outwardly unresponsive. Then she spends six months raging at her limitations, until her grandmother and a new nanny, Nishio, daughter of landlady Kashima, show her understanding and teach her to enjoy life. Alas, Grandma isn't long for this world, and Kashima's wartime grudge against Belgium leads her to discourage Nishio from spending much time around Amélie. What's more, Dad's job means they may have to move back to Belgium any week, despite Amélie self-identifying as Japanese. (I won't list voice actors, because none of the names for English or French mean anything to me.)
Perhaps the most distinctive feature of the presentation is Amélie's narration. Initially, she keeps calling herself "God," with no pronouns for variety. Don't be too offended; it's just infantile egocentrism. But it does clue us in to how philosophical her young mind gets, even if she can't be so eloquent aloud at the time. In keeping with the English title, she likens herself to rain; in keeping with the French title, Amélie et la métaphysique des tubes, she also likens herself to a tube during her catatonic period.
As you may have surmised, this is one of those animations, usually non-American, that don't fall under fantasy or sci-fi. One obvious reason to animate is that we can't expect good acting from a toddler. Another is how Amélie occasionally imagines unworldly things happening, often at her command. It goes rather well with her god complex.
As challenging as a child like Amélie can be (with two vivacious other brats around, no less), even Kashima takes pity on her when push comes to shove. The family's eventual reconciliation is quite heartwarming. What more could I hope for in such a youth-focused story?
LAotCoR will not win an Oscar. It will win your heart if you let it.
No comments:
Post a Comment