I've been thinking about how deeply in love with this guy's work I was in late high school. City of Lost Children was like the perfect alien, carnival, gothic of a more dour Tim Burton for my 16 year old mind. It was so perfect for me then, that I am scared to watch it and dislike it now. I bought Delicatessen on VHS. Every girl I dated when I was in my early 20s wanted to channel Amelie, it was hard to blame them. A Very Long Engagement struck a sentimental nerve (I still randomly hear the dialogue: "Brodeauteaux?....... no Broteaudeaux!" in my head, can't spell that to save my life) The last thing I saw of his was Micmacs in 2009.

I never made it around to T.S. Spivet or Bigbug.

What do you make of this guy's work?

City of Lost Children and Delicatessen are fucking amazing movies. I liked Amelie but didn't subscribe to the cult that sprang up, although it introduced me to Mathieu Amalric, so, gimme the cash! there.

iembalm wrote: Sun Oct 13, 2024 1:16 pm City of Lost Children and Delicatessen are fucking amazing movies. I liked Amelie but didn't subscribe to the cult that sprang up

This. Those two deserve the incredible vote, but WF for the rest.

Bigbug was OK.

Alien Resurrection (Joss Whedon wrote) was good.

Have not seen the others.

iembalm wrote: Sun Oct 13, 2024 1:16 pm City of Lost Children and Delicatessen are fucking amazing movies. I liked Amelie but didn't subscribe to the cult that sprang up, although it introduced me to Mathieu Amalric, so, gimme the cash! there.

This

Liked Delicatessen as a breath of fresh air but everything of his I saw afterward made his vibe seem cutesy and tiresome. Alien Resurrection was a mix of great and cringeworthy, but then Amélie tanked his whole aesthetic for me and I have not been able to watch any of those since.

First two are fine, and Micmacs is an odd little duck; a real gem.

The rest can be binned.

Need to revisit the old ones, but remember them being distinct and accomplished. To his credit he doesn't work much, but at this point I can't tell him apart from Michel Gondry, and it all just coalesces into some kind of expensive French perfume advertisement.