"Amélie goes to war"

[Ciarán2]

Swoon! It's "Amelie II" (except it isn't). A review of Jean Pierre Jeunet's new film (with the formidable Audrey Tautou) from The Guardian.

http://film.guardian.co.uk/features/featurepages/0,4120,1343176,00.html

A question that may be raised though...was "Amelie"...racist?!

While Amélie portrayed a picture postcard Paris - which despite its contemporary setting was imbued with nostalgia for an old-fashioned vision of France - here we have a genuinely bygone Paris, idealised in the same glossy way.

Come to think of it, I don't remember any black people in "Amelie" - set in contemporary Paris, remember. Hmmn.

[butnut]

Thanks for this.  Really, I should have hated Amélie, as my favourite director is Bunuel (nicknamed 'The Surgeon' because of his cold, unsentimental nature) but Amélie melted my heart. I've watched it about 5 times, and it brings tears to my eyes every time. Oh, the shame.

I don't buy this arguement that because you don't include anyone from an enthnic minority in a film that you're being racist. You can't hope to include everything in any work of art, and you know what it's like in a TV programme when there's the token darkie. If you were to film my group of friends, for example, there wouldn't be a coloured person in there (actually you would have done a few years ago, but a couple broke up...). This is quite tricky to say - but I know it's not because we're racist, it's just that we don't happen to have any friends of a different skin colour - at the moment anyway, but we're always willing to take new members! I've probably got myself into trouble here, so I'll shut up.

As for this new film, I'll go and see it no doubt.

[Kingboy_D]

A question that may be raised though...was "Amelie"...racist?!

Come to think of it, I don't remember any black people in "Amelie" - set in contemporary Paris, remember. Hmmn.

Nothing personal, but this kind type of thing of gets on my goat somewhat. I personally think its worse to sprinkle "blacks" throughout a movie for the sheer sake of multiculturalism. Its patronising if nothing else to have a token black/ethnic character in a movie for the sake of it, and its slightly aggravates me that it should now be considered almost artistically mandatory.

You may as well call John Carpenter a raging mysoginist because "The Thing" doesn't have any women in it. If it were made today there'd have to be a feisty ripley-esque female scientist who's handy with a flamethrower. (See Alien vs Predatror for a recent example of this stock horror movie cliche)

God I feel like Richard Littlejohn.

"its political correctness gone mad"

[Pinball]

I look forward to women protecting me when there's another war. Bless 'em. I'll be at home hoovering. I also wonder about the patriotism of some of our ethnic minorities. Will the Muslims fight other Muslims as part of the Great Christian Crusade (which Bush referred to as his "calling")? I think not. More likely their second passports will be dusted off.

Oooooooh, controversial. Whatever. But let's not forget that racism, prejudice and all that is a two-way street. I watch a lot of non-anglosphere TV, and I can tell you everyone's pretty much the same in their prejudicial views. Doesn't make it right, but I get pretty pissed off nowadays at this lazy way of manipulating people via the use of Political Correctness. Almost as lazy as THE THREAT OF GLOBAL TERRORISM!!!!!!!!!!!! BE SCARED!! TERRIFIED!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I really wish the world could be secular and liberal, and creative in all ways but military. Instead we have, as always, religion causing trouble. Fucking religion. If there is a God, he can suck my cock, evil bastard.

Returning to the thread topic, Amelie racist? Holy crap. They must be desperate for something to criticise.

[mwude]

Amelie did feature a one-armed, simpleton of Morrocan origin (Lucien the grocer's assistant played by Jamel Debbouze) but I think the character is portrayed quite sympathetically so people seem to have forgotten his presence as 'token ethnic'.

I can't wait for Amelie Goes Forth.  Saccharine sickly sweet it may be, but feelgood in the best possible way.

[Santa's Boyfriend]

There's a trailer for the film, "A Very Long Engagement", here: http://www.apple.com/trailers/warner_independent_pictures/averylongengagement.html

Although bear in mind that this is the American trailer, which means it's got Mr Throat-Cancer doing the voiceover as usual, and no french dialogue from the film for fear of scaring away the audience.

[butnut]

Urghh. It looks really fucking shit from that trailor. I really hope it's nothing like that.

[Pinball]

There's a trailer for the film, "A Very Long Engagement", here: http://www.apple.com/trailers/warner_independent_pictures/averylongengagement.html

Although bear in mind that this is the American trailer, which means it's got Mr Throat-Cancer doing the voiceover as usual, and no french dialogue from the film for fear of scaring away the audience.

Mr Throat Cancer - hehehe :-)

I hate dubbed films, as often you lose all the carefully constructed surround sound. Give me subtitles any day. I watched "Weather Woman" the other night. Sweet sweet Japanese voice. God knows what the US dub would be like.

"Here's the goddamn motherfucking weather. Whateverrrrr. Have a nice day now y'hear. Missing you already. At the top of the hour" etc. Ughhhhhhhhhh.

[Ambient Sheep]

Returning to the thread topic, Amelie racist? Holy crap. They must be desperate for something to criticise.

They didn't.  There's no hint of that in the Guardian article as far as I can see; the inference appears to be entirely Ciarán's.

[butnut]

Amelie goes to court:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4005623.stm

Amelie film-maker in court battle

The director of hit movie Amelie is fighting in the French courts to prove his latest film is really French.

Jean-Pierre Jeunet's A Very Long Engagement has drawn rave reviews ahead of its US opening on 26 November.

But rival producers are challenging Jeunet's right to French government subsidies, because the film's backers include US studio Warner Brothers.

"It's completely surrealistic," Jeunet said. The film - which stars Audrey Tautou - opens in the UK on 21 January.

Jeunet has argued A Very Long Engagement was filmed in France and used French actors and technicians.

He pointed out that director Oliver Stone's Alexander the Great received funding from the French Government despite not being filmed in France or in French.

"Oliver Stone's movie Alexander is French -- his mother is French and he did the post-production in Paris so it's French, no problem. And this one is not French, can you believe it?," said Jeunet.

Set during World War I, A Very Long Engagement is one of France's most expensive films, costing about 45 million euros (£31.5m) to produce.

Investment was provided by a group of French companies including Warner Brothers France.

Two associations of French producers are contesting its French origins because the money did not come wholly from French sources and therefore should not be eligible for French subsidies.

The subsidies could be as high as millions of euros depending how well the film does at the box office.

"It's just a question of commercial competition," Jeunet said.

"The producers are obsessed because there's a new studio and they don't want to share the cake. It's very cynical, very hypocritical."

He added that it would be a shame if Warner Brothers backed out of funding French films and took their money to Italy or France following the row.

Completely different

France is staunchly protective of its cinema and goes to great lengths to avoid the influence of Hollywood.

Director CS Leigh, who works mainly in France, said the French film industry was perhaps not as strong as it had been but was still diverse.

"It's healthier than most countries but it has been healthier. There are still a lot of French films being made and a lot of them are completely different which is good," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

Frenchman Francois Ivernel, head of Pathe UK, was positive about the strength of French cinema and its quality and diversity.

"There are more films being made in France today than a few years ago," he told Today.

"Last year alone 180 films were made in France, a few years ago there was 100.

"So I think the diversity is increasing and some films are extremely cutting edge, like Anatomy of Hell, which is completely cutting edge."

[Ciarán2]

The racist inference was mine...sorry! No, it just ocurred to me that a film set in the centre of Paris in 2000 probably ought to show the large number of black people who live there, just for factual accuracy....rhe Guardian reference to Amelie's well-noted glossing over of anything shady about contemporary Paris got me thinking, that's all. I don't really think the film is racist, but a bit like "Notting Hill" maybe in that unrealistic portrayal of Paris.

Erm....

Yes I'm looking forward to seeing "A Very Long Engagement"!