Jean Pierre Jeunet

johnny_ultimate

(and Marc Caro by association)

Favourite film: Predictable, but Amelie really is wonderful. Few films are so, well, radiant I guess. A lot of fun, plus the best example of Jeunet's energetic, quirky direction. Fluffy stuff, but proof that fluff is often the stuff of great cinema.

Worst film: I haven't seen Alien: Resurrection, and I actually like all his other films. I'd say MicMacs - still displayed the inventive direction I enjoy his films for, but it felt a bit emptier than the rest of his films. It was a Jeunet film on autopilot, and while there was nothing particularly wrong with it per say and was in fact enjoyable stuff altogether, it didn't catch me the way others did.

I think Jeunet (and, sometimes, Caro) makes some of the most enjoyable films around today - sometimes light, but that's a strength in the case of Amelie or the darker but still jaunty Delicatessen. City of Lost Children was a grown up fairytale long before Pan's Labyrinth, and you've got to love Perlman. A Very Long Engagement was also a quirkier, more vibrant film than one would expect from such an epic wartime romance. More than anything though its the visual inventiveness and playfulness of his films that make him a good director IMO. A Jeunet film in most cases is very distinctly a Jeunet film, and that's what separates him from others. He has a stylistic niche he's created for himself - a very French one at that - and his energetic style, editing and cinematography in the vast majority of cases is what makes his films worth a watch and a rollicking good time. I'd compare him in some ways to Michel Gondry - both have a sort of DIY approach that make their films stand out from the crowd. I'd stop short of calling him a great director, but he's a unique one, and I've enjoyed all of the films of his I've watched, with his one Hollywood attempt the only one I haven't got around to (and from what I hear, I'm best sticking with ignorance in that particular case!).

So yay or nay? Seems like the kind of fellow whose deliberate quirk is sure to annoy some!

Eirebear

I got a few minutes to chat with and photograph Jeunet during the Glasgow Film Festival a couple of years ago, 'twas quite a moment for me because i love his films.

He was really interesting to listen to during his Q&A too, he spoke quite candidly about Alien Resurection and how much he despised the whole experience - but that if he hadnt done it he would never have made Amelie.
He said he felt Amelie was almost a selfish film in many ways, because he felt he needed to create something which made him happy, and he never expected any success from it.

Interestingly enough he also spoke about how he had originally wrote the part of Amelie for Emily Watson, but she had to pull out at the last minute and Audrey Tatou was brought in.
I couldnt imagine anyone bu Tatou in that role.

As for his films, i absolutely love Delicatessan i saw it at a time when i was really beginning to understand film, and develop my tastes - it had a big effect on me and my understanding that i could look outside of english speaking blockbusters to find great films.
MicMacs dissapointed a wee bit, but it still has some cracking moments, and its hard not to enjoy it simply for jeunet's oddball visuals.

Renn

Definite yay for me. Amelie is still probably the one I'd return to most out of all of his but I don't think AVLE gets enough credit - and Badalamenti's score, for me, is superior to Tiersen's one for the latter, and superior to most score's out there.

Micmacs definitely the weakest out of the lot. Btw, I would definitely recommend listening to his commentaries on any of his films.

indough

worse than alien resurrection? because that takes some beating

Renn

I haven't seen that but it doesn't really count.

indough

course it does. i wouldnt bother watching it anyway

kraggy

Amelie for me is a work of genius. I don't use that term lightly.

Few other films had such an effect on me. The colours, the script, the substories, the imaginative trickery, the music, the....well, pretty much everything about it.

It's in my top 5 and forever will be.

I also think that A Very Long Engagement did not get the attention it deserves. Some breathtaking shots in it and again, moving music.

I only saw an English-dubbed version of City of Lost Children. Not sure if there was even an English subtitles version availabe at the time. Anyway, it didn't do much for me. Was put off by the dubbing. Must give it another watch some other time.

I'm a massive fan of Jeunet. Just hope he starts making more films more regularly.

LittleBook

Big fat "OUI" from moi.

I'm surprised no-one seemed to enjoy Micmacs. For me it was very reminiscent of the Jeunet/Caro films, particularly Delicatessen, I loved it.

Do we all watch his films in French or English?

And has anyone seen Caro's Dante 01? I know this isn't about him but I always wondered how he fared in his only film without Jeunet.

johnny_ultimate

LittleBook wrote: »

Do we all watch his films in French or English?

There are English versions? :eek: Subs ftw! (unless you mean French language without subs, which I wouldn't understand a word of :pac:)

I'd agree with y'all that A Very Long Engagement is a fine film. It's the kind of film I usually hate - the words wartime and romance tend to fill me with dread. But with Jeunet's inventive direction it's a jolly good time altogether.

And it isn't that MicMacs is bad per say, it simply lacks something. It feels like just another Jeunet film, with nothing particularly special about it. A few fun set pieces for sure, but it lacks the inventiveness and uniqueness of his best work. It's like bits and pieces from his other films all put together, and feels a bit shambolic as a result.

indough

i think a very long engagement was brilliant

Mickeroo

Definitley Yay. Amelie is an all time fave, beautiful film and still gets me feeling all warm and fluffy inside to this day, everything about it is borderline perfect. Delicatessen is a great film too, dark, sweet and funny all at once. Remember watching A very Long Engagement and liking it a lot but dont remember too much else, must watch again. Not seen micmacs yet nor, somewhat ridiculously, have i seen City of Lost Children, literally have wanted to watch it since it came out when i was a teenager but to this day it has evaded me.

Oh yea, I enjoyed ALien: Ressurection dang it

LittleBook

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

There are English versions? :eek: Subs ftw! (unless you mean French language without subs, which I wouldn't understand a word of :pac:)

Yep, Kraggy watched CofLC in English ... I assume Perlman did his own voice over :pac:

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

And it isn't that MicMacs is bad per say, it simply lacks something. It feels like just another Jeunet film, with nothing particularly special about it. A few fun set pieces for sure, but it lacks the inventiveness and uniqueness of his best work. It's like bits and pieces from his other films all put together, and feels a bit shambolic as a result.

Which is exactly why I liked it I think.