Cinematography:
Darius KhondjiComposer:
Angelo BadalamentiCast:
Ron Perlman, Daniel Emilfork, Judith Vittet, Dominique Pinon, Jean-Claude Dreyfus, Geneviève Brunet, Odile Mallet, Mireille Mossé, Serge Merlin, Rufus (more)VOD (1)
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A strongman and a little girl try to save a small boy's dream. (official distributor synopsis)
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Reviews (8)
Despite the very flimsy script, the film completely captivated me with its audiovisual adaptations and characters, especially the excellent creations of Ron Perlman and the cute adult Judith Vittet. It is as if Caro and Jeunet had distilled Burton's fairy-tale gloom and mixed it with Terry Gilliam's eccentricity and existential chill. All this in a strange curve that very much bears their seal. The fact that The City of Lost Children looks familiar and yet is original is sufficient reason for me give the film a fifth star.
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"He may be big, but he's not an adult." Caro and Jenuet weren't lacking self-reflection. In The City of Lost Children, the pair basically just upgraded from one building in Delicatessen to an entire city. Otherwise, it works with it in practically the same way. The harbor is a wonderfully structured multi-level space, full of bridges, staircases, canals, docks, crossings, pipes, sewer hatches, etc., with some dangerous secret (like a crazy diver living underwater in the harbor's underbelly) or adventure lurking around every corner. In this, for example, it often brings to mind the notion of the old city as a playground familiar from Foglar's books or non-linear video games like BioShock. For 1995, the film contains breathtaking special effects, amazing nonsense ideas, and absolutely uncompromising sets and costumes. Except that vegans, animal activists, and radical opponents of pedophilia will vomit out of the window, to be sure.
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The City of Lost Children is mandatory viewing for everyone who says Tim Burton is weird. This extremely strange fantasy will either completely captivate you or you will stare at it with your mouth open and it will leave you with nothing. I’m in the latter group of viewers, just as in the case of Delicatessen.
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Jean-Pierre Jeunet divides viewers of his films into two groups: those who admire his boundless imagination, sense of irony, and exaggeration, and those who shrug their shoulders at the strange playfulness that lacks a plot and is filled with bizarre characters they cannot identify with. The City of Lost Children is literally an embodiment of the director's style, a film that probably best characterizes both his strengths and weaknesses. The plotline is weak, but everything is compensated by Jeunet's playfulness, imagination, and visual style. Jeunet originated from alternative comics known for their grotesque, provocative nature, and artistic experiments. It has nothing to do with the classic American superhero and adventure-style comics. Jeunet would be an ideal director for films based on Max Andersson or other alternative art comic creators. It is delightful to observe all the quirky characters, decorative elements, and the whole peculiar world that Jeunet's imagination has created. As always, Jeunet cast his favorite actor Dominique Pinon in a key role, this time multiplying him seven times so that no viewer could overlook him. For the amazing sets and the unique atmosphere, I cannot give the film less than five stars. Overall impression: 90%.
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Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Marc Caro have made a visually beautiful film. It has something of the industrial feel, but it also has elements reminiscent of "Oliver Twist"; it's mature, yet presented as a fairy tale, where Dominique Pinon excels above all. He also demonstrates here not only captivating comedic abilities. Ron Perlman does what I would expect from him. But he does it well.
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Gallery (70)
Photo © Sony Pictures Classics
![The City of Lost Children - Photos](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w663/files/images/film/photos/159/871/159871487_6c6fb9.jpg)
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