Amélie
Miramax Films | Release Date: November 2, 2001 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
70
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 32 Critic Reviews
Positive:
24
Mixed:
7
Negative:
1
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
Film ThreatRoss Williams
Joyous. This is a film that will put a goofy grin on your face from the opening frame, through to the credits, out into the lobby, the whole way home, and possibly even till you fall asleep. Read full review
100
Philadelphia InquirerSteven Rea
A feel-good movie, in the absolute best sense. Read full review
100
Washington PostDesson Thomson
A movie for aesthetically hungry moviegoers: wildly amusing, sometimes sardonic and always touching. There's so much here, and all of it delightful. Read full review
100
Chicago TribuneMichael Wilmington
This is the Paris -- and the mad, beautiful young Parisienne -- we look for in dreams. Read full review
100
Seattle Post-IntelligencerWilliam Arnold
The movie is never mechanical or emotionally contrived, and at its heart is a guileless, enchanting performance by Tautou. Read full review
91
Entertainment WeeklyLisa Schwarzbaum
The charming movie, already an international success, seduces. Read full review
90
Washington PostRita Kempley
Amelie is joie de vivre in a nougat. Read full review
90
The New York TimesElvis Mitchell
There is no denying that Amélie is, to paraphrase its title, fabulous. Read full review
89
Austin ChronicleKimberley Jones
A film that wants you to get happy. Read full review
88
Movie NationRoger Moore
A feather-light meringue of a romance to remind us there will always be a Paris. Read full review
88
Miami HeraldRene Rodriguez
At two hours, the movie is probably 15 minutes too long -- the final half-hour in particular could have used some trimming -- but complaining about having too much of a good thing makes one sound like a grouch. Read full review
88
Boston GlobeJay Carr
Delightful and original, the film conjures up a corner of Paris distinct and specific, yet fairy-tale fanciful.
88
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
A delicious pastry of a movie -- You see it, and later when you think about it, you smile. Read full review
88
USA TodayClaudia Puig
Irresistibly endearing, with a visual verve all its own. Read full review
83
Portland OregonianShawn Levy
A big-hearted French movie that shines with wit, beauty, humor, sunshine and the love of love.
80
Wall Street JournalJoe Morgenstern
An endearing film, and a fascinating one.
80
VarietyLisa Nesselson
Fresh, funny, exquisitely bittersweet tour de force. Read full review
75
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
The barometer for whether you'll enjoy Amélie is whether you liked "Moulin Rouge" last summer. If snappy visuals, tangy colors, mood-drenched scenery, and a good-hearted heroine make you as happy as a box of Parisian chocolates, it's definitely for you. Read full review
75
New York PostLou Lumenick
A slick, sweet, fast-paced, feel-good romantic fantasy that's fairly irresistible if you can keep your cynicism in check for a couple of hours. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalle
A charmer, a movie whose embrace of cinema is so passionate it could be mistaken for an embrace of life. Read full review
70
Village VoiceJ. Hoberman
The screen is saturated with Gallic whimsy and the romance of Montmartre in the person of Amélie. Read full review
70
New York Magazine (Vulture)Peter Rainer
Jeunet wants us to know that times are hard for dreamers and that one shouldn't pass up a chance for true love. He means it, no doubt, but he doesn't have the simplicity of soul to quite bring off the sentiment. Still, we're charmed by the attempt. Read full review
63
New York Daily NewsJack Mathews
Whether you're charmed or bored by the movie depends entirely on your feelings for Amelie, a young woman whose hyper-quirky personality both takes some getting used to and grows old fast. Read full review
63
Baltimore SunChris Kaltenbach
Akin to being force-fed sugary confections from a bottomless bowl. At first the idea seems just grand, but after a while, all you want to do is scream, "Enough!"
60
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
The lanky, wide-eyed Tautou is so phenomenally charming -- her smile could sweeten vinegar -- as to make Amelie irresistible. Read full review
60
New Times (L.A.)Bill Gallo
Not a film for everyone, but if you're in the mood for a little sensory overload, some spirited intellectual gymnastics and an introduction to the most intriguing new actress Europe has produced in years, get in line with the rest of the thrill-seekers. Read full review
50
Chicago ReaderRonnie Scheib
The ease with which the perky, big-eyed heroine ingeniously succeeds in improving the lot of everyone around her and the painterly manner in which reality in every inch of the frame is "improved" constitute both the "quirky" charm and the pure fishiness of the film. Read full review
50
TimeRichard Corliss
You could get drunk, or ill, on the high dose of whimsy in Amelie.
40
Los Angeles TimesKenneth Turan
Features an aggressive, in-your-face romanticism that's noticeably lacking in genuine warmth. While its story of lonely misfits searching for love has appealing moments, more often it turns into an overbearing fable overburdened with fake joie de vivre. Read full review
40
SalonCharles Taylor
The problem is that the charm and good spirits of Amélie feel calculated rather than natural. Read full review
40
The New YorkerAnthony Lane
As a director, he seems incapable of trusting his actors to carry the mood, preferring always to lend them a backup -- jokes, fripperies, kooky camera angles -- that they don't require. [5 Nov 2001, p. 105]
20
L.A. WeeklyManohla Dargis
Sucks -- because it's a frenetic bore that insists on its audience's adoration while making no demands upon their intelligence. Read full review
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