Reviews

This film is a bit of an oddity. It was a live TV play, made a decade before Sean Connery appeared in Dr No. It's nothing like the Bond films we all know and love - anyone expecting action set-pieces will be disappointed as the whole play/film takes place on 2 sets.

THE GOOD POINTS: 1. A rare little gem, bringing James Bond to the screen for the first time. 2. One of the closest adaptations of Ian Fleming's works. 3. Peter Lorre - very good villain.

THE BAD POINTS: 1. Renaming James Bond as "Card-Sense Jimmy Bond". Oh. My. God. 2. Making Bond a Yank. Americans seem to have this need to take credit away from the Brits for everything (Don't even get me started on U-571). 3. They made Felix Leiter a Brit and renamed him Clarence. Sigh...

Anyway, gripes aside it IS worth seeking out if you're a fan. It's available in 2 versions as far as I am aware. The version I have is about an hour long, but there are rumours of a longer version which continues from where the other left off in which the villain returns from the dead to carry on the fight a bit more.

Anything I say here to praise this movie will never be enough. This is quite possibly one of the greatest pieces of foreign cinema I have ever seen.

The camera paints a beautiful picture of Paris and Jeunet takes you on a wondrous journey that is Amelie. To explain the plot here would tarnish the poetry of this film but I insist that everyone MUST see it.

I have been a fan of Jeunet's work for a long time but this even tops the fantastic "City of Lost Children". Jeunet favourite Dominique Pinon is back in an inspired role as an obsessed ex-boyfriend, along with Rufus.

Jeunet just gets better and better, which raises the question... what on earth comes next?

Do not watch this movie.

I got this on DVD free in a special PS2 promotion and I am saddened that I have lost 2 hours of my life due to this film. A friend of mine didn't believe it could be as bad as I said it was and borrowed it off me. He still hasn't forgiven me.

Not even worth considering if you find it in the bargain bin. In fact, if you see it on a shop shelf then RUN AWAY! As fast as you can.

Everything that could be said about this film has already been said elsewhere. There's only one thing I would like to add...

Read the book. It's much better.

A very faithful adaptation of an astounding novel. I read the book before I saw the movie - the book is far superior.