Little Amélie

Adapted from Belgian author Amélie Nothomb’s autobiographical novella The Character of Rain, Little Amélie is a spellbinding and utterly gorgeous animation from filmmakers Maïlys Vallade and Liane-Cho Han. The film centres around the titular youngster (Loïse Charpentier), who was born in Kobe to Belgian parents in the 1960s. After beginning life in a vegetative state, she’s awoken by an earthquake at the age of two and begins experiencing everything for the first time. Through Amélie’s eyes, the feature explores ideas of identity and childhood with vibrant bursts of imagination and boundless heart in what is one of the best animations in recent years.

The visuals are bold and expressive. Occasionally surreal, but always beautiful, each frame brilliantly captures the wonderment and mysticism of the young protagonist’s world. Especially in outdoor scenes, Vallade and Han’s feature is reminiscent of the films of Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli. From raindrops hitting the surface of a garden pond to the orange glow of a sunset on a long drive home, viewers can easily lose themselves in the scenery. Adding even more depth to each moment is an emotive score from Mari Fukuhara, which effortlessly moves between playful and serene.

The core of the plot revolves around the relationship between the toddler and Nishio-san (Victoria Grosbois), the Japanese nanny hired to help look after her. Nishio-san teaches her how to write her name in Japanese (Ame being the character for rain), reads her stories about yokai, and takes her to a traditional festival. Their connection is so strong that Amélie believes she’s Japanese, even though their landlady (Yumi Fujimori) detests her family for what Westerners did to Japan during the war. It’s through interactions like these that she learns about abstract concepts like identity and death, often to heartbreaking effect.

The filmmakers navigate these grand themes poignantly and with so much charm that it’s disappointing how quickly everything wraps up. Just as a major revelation looks to be setting up an emotionally charged third act, the plot is brought to an abrupt end, leaving some story beats unresolved. Running less than 80 minutes, even a little extra time with these characters would have made a big difference.

Few films are as genuinely delightful as Little Amélie. More spectacular than its Ghibli-inspired artistry is the way it makes viewers feel like a small child again.