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After seeing this movie it quickly became one of my favorites of all time. I never would have thought that a foreign language movie could affect me on an emotional level. Not that I have anything against foreign movies (I own and like many) but typically its hard to relate to the characters subtle emotional states due to the different tone's used in speech for different languages. However since Amelie seems so "understandable", as well as many of the other characters (if not all of them), through the story it wouldn't matter if she talked at all. You just know what she is feeling or alluding to.
I've of course watched all the subtitled features on the DVD and listened to the english commentary. I like the way that the film was originally considered to be an underdog based on its premise or whatever and upon first showings began its climb to popularity. This movie also has the distinction of easily being labeled as a "chick-flick" and yet possily has as many male fans as female ones. And while Audrey Tautou is very attractive, I don't think guys watch the movie just for that reason. I think it has more to do with the depth of her character.
If you've listened to the directors commentary you'll know that many things in the movie (from the two glasses on the table to the gnome) are based on real life events witnessed or told to the director. I think this makes the movie work because while the Paris it takes place in is obviously a sort of surreal one, the odd events make it seem down-to-earth.
I moved around a lot growing up and never had lasting childhood friends so I could relate to Amelie's introvertedness on some level. I too live in a city, but rarely talk to strangers on the train or supermarket even though I see them quite often. Being alone in a crowd of people because you don't know if you can relate to them is something apparently many people can sympathize with. I too see blind people and have always wanted to walk one down the street the way she did. Or find some other small deed that could bring happiness into someone's life. I wanted Amelie to be happy the way she made others happy because I saw some of myself reflected. At the end while the two kiss I watched with my roommate once and he made some wisecrack about introvert's meeting (he is very outgoing).
I like the fish bowl comparison's above. I hadn't made that connection before and it is an interesting way to look at things. In a way every character in the movie was trapped in their own fishbowl and Amelie was trying to free them.
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