Okay, first of all? This is a French movie that features Ron Perlman in a main role, speaking French phonetically. And he pretty much pulls it off. That is super-awesome.
In other news: this is a beautiful dark fairytale that completely captures your imagination and takes it to places you’ve probably never gone before. It’s got an eccentric blend of fantasy, adventure, romance, and a little horror, which combine with beautiful sets and costumes to make an unforgettable film. The standard Jeunet style (seen in movies like Amelie and Delicatessen) is all over this movie, which is not to everyone’s taste but it really works for me. In fact, my enjoyment of the movie is more due to the style and less than the story, which is neat on the surface but not much more than an excuse for the cool effects. Still: sometimes that’s all you need. And that’s the case in City of Lost Children

First, I’m just going to get this out on the table: The French are insane and I love them for it.

To be perfectly honest I had always been drawn to this film because of its awesome cover. It wasn’t until later that I discovered how critically acclaimed the film actually was.

French films are always very eccentric, so I expected no less from this one. It is a science fiction, fairy tale, love story hybrid. If you dislike whimsy in your films then this is certainly not for you. Without the film’s surreal nature, there would be nothing to it.

The set and costume design are amazing. It must have taken many creative minds to create such a unique world. That is one of the things the film does best: Puts you within this odd and certainly singular dimension.

The characters are both lovable and grotesque. It is difficult to describe the type of pull this film possesses, but it undoubtedly captures your heart as you watch it.

Clearly, I am missing something. I am a foreign film nut. I loved Amelie and enjoyed Delicatessan, but this one … I couldn’t wait for it to be over and almost stopped it multiple times. Perhaps it’s my intense dislike of science fiction. (?)

Jean-Pierre Jeunet visited San Francisco State University today. The City of Lost Children was shown, followed by an hour long Q&A session. I had heard of the film before but hadn’t yet seen it, though it’s now one of my favorite films.

wonderfully surreal story with costumes by jean-paul gaultier.