AMG Review of Amélie

Heather Phares
All Music Guide

The soundtrack to Jean-Pierre Jeunet's charming, slightly surreal romantic comedy Amélie features music by Yann Tiersen. Just as the film presents an idyllic, idealized version of Paris, Tiersen's score captures the most romantic aspects of French music, complete with fluttering accordions, delicate harpsichords, mandolins, and poignant strings and pianos. Pieces like "J'y Suis Jamais Allé," "Le Moulin," "La Valse des Monstres," and "Les Jours Tristes" -- which features a toy piano -- convey the film's sweet, slightly skewed outlook perfectly, and are completely charming in their own right. Aside from the three variations on the heroine's theme, "La Valse d'Amélie," most of the score comes from Tiersen's other albums, making Amélie a fine introduction to his work as well as an appropriately winning soundtrack.