Micmacs (2009)

Wonderful character development!

It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.

Ok... Let's be honest. It cannot be the best movie but is quite enjoyable. The movie has the potential to develop a great plot for future movies

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

Okay, if you've seen the dark humoured Delicatessan, then this is a film that follows up in its footsteps (with a familiar face in both). This time we again have some dark humour, but instead the story revolves around a lovable but odd character who befriends other lovable but odd characters, and they work together to bring down two arm manufacturers? Why (if a reason is needed to be explained), well our lead was shot in the head by a bullet and lost his father from a landmine.Now, this film easily transfers across languages. Mostly it is slapstick with mime. Very inventive and funny piece, with some good settings. Not over long either. Good acting and always seems to keep you on your toes.The problem though is that, as lovable as the characters are, you don't seem to be able to identify enough to take them enough to heart. I mean, you empathise and love the ride, but lacks some kind of emotion between the viewer and story, which is a shame. So sadly you don't love this as much as you otherwise wish you could.Don't get me wrong, it's a very enjoyable movie, but just not one I love.

As with the great directors, their films are to be compared to, well... their own films!. The mind of jean Pierre Jeunet has created worlds that that range from fairy tale (Amelie), post- apocalyptic (Delicatessin), science fiction (City of Lost Children) and put new twists on the war torn romance (A Very Long Engagement). These spaces of story telling are therefore protected from otherworldly logic, but encased in bits and pieces of sweet snippets, humorous entanglement and just plain oddness. We've come to expect this from our collector of such things as expressed on the big screen for our delight.His effort here is a bit in conflict with these endeavors. The reality of homelessness isn't that funny. The pain of a mother losing her daughters in a fun house is not something to mention in passing and the creation of "non-stop shenanigans" pieced together to make a point about the harms of war mongers seems to put the style in contrast with the substance. The visuals are entertaining and the vignettes almost all work but in the end the projected romance between our "Basil" and the annoying contortionist fails to illuminate the heart as the past romances in the other films mentioned above.I still enjoyed the film and the concluding "exposure" of our evil doers, but the Seven Dwarfs, as usually fun, kooky and endearing as past Jeunet inhabitants, could have skipped the circus act romance to wrap up the bow around our Snow White.

Micmacs is not a bad movie overall and one with an interesting and whimsical storyline. One thing however that I did not like about the movie was the obvious plot holes that it contained. There were certain places where the storyline simply jumped ahead with no explanation, leaving the reader to catch up on their own. The most notable example of this is near the beginning where we see Bazil as a little kid when his family receives news of his father's death. We then see him sent to a boarding school of some sort and the story suddenly changes to a man sitting in a video store watching a movie. It is only because of certain clues seen later that we suddenly realize that this is Bazil. Some films do this purposefully for effect, however this one only serves to confuse the audience rather than impress them.The director, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, was born in Roanne, Loire, France on September 3, 1953. Jeunet has directed a number of films, one of which, "Amelie", was nominated for several Academy Awards. He also received a European Film Award for Best Director due to this film.A major idea that is expressed in the film is that of a person finding a second life or a new reason for living. We see Bazil's life rejuvenated by his newfound group of friends and his newfound purpose of getting revenge on the arms manufacturers. This idea really hits home when we see that all of his friends are happily willing to assist him in his mission. When they tell him that anything he has to do, they will do together, we see that he has gained a new life that far surpasses the solitary and dreary one he led before. This idea is significant because it shows that people should always have a reason for living. If one life purpose fades away, another one will eventually arise to take its place.Another main idea is the story of an underdog triumphing over a superior force. The dominant storyline of Bazil's quest for revenge on the arms dealers reflects this idea at every turn as he and his team lure the companies closer and closer to destruction. They gain more of an advantage with each step of the plan until it all culminates in the end with the coerced confessions of the president of each company. Once these confessions are broadcast on YouTube, Bazil and his friends have obviously won. This idea is popular with audiences because people like it when they see those who are repressed overthrow their oppressors against all odds. It is appealing because not only does the good guy win, but that victory is all the more sweet because it is theoretically impossible. The movie uses special effects as any good action film should, which serve well to keep the audience's attention. It makes use of pyrotechnics such as the explosions which are set off with the sabotage of one of the arms manufacturing facilities. The music used at different points in the movie also stands out. It has a circus-like feel to it which adds to the comical air of the film, such as the music heard when Petit Pierre is playing with his inventions.Overall, the movie is okay at best, but far from the worst I have ever seen. Many may find it to be too trite and predictable however it does have its moments. I would readily suggest it to someone looking for a decent French action-comedy.

The cinema world of Jean-Pierre Jeunet can be one of the magical absurd rides you will ever take. It can be either dark as Lost Children or bright and fuzzy as Amelie. Regardless, you know you are going to enter a world beyond your own imagination.In MicMacs, Jeunet takes us to the world of the underdog, the discarded and peculiar who have created their own world amongst the trash we discard. Led by a man with a bullet in his head, they take on the greedy bigwigs from the ammunition manufacture world. What makes this such a joy is how they go about bringing down these destroyers of our world. It's so imaginative and brilliantly fun that you can only marvel and go along for the vengeful ride.The characters are a pure delight, maybe because they are cartoon caricatures, but still with the warmth of a human heart. Jeunet knows how to capture their world through his stunning visual style that is enhanced by the fascinating art direction.So sit back and relax, and enjoy the world that is, by Jean-Pierre Jeunet.