Review Summary: Maybe I'm right, maybe I'm wrong, loving you dear like I do.
If it's a crime, then I'm guilty, guilty of loving you.
Yann Tiersen – ‘Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain’ Soundtrack
Review by Marzuki
I’m thrilled to say that I’ve been to Paris before. Just writing this brings back a flood of memories, mostly romanticized perhaps, but very vivid indeed. And not just the usual suspects – the
Tour Eiffel, the
Arc de Triomphe, the Notre Dame Cathedral. Besides that, the little peculiarities of the place – the small markets selling second hand books, the buskers, and yes the beggars as well. What a city Paris is!
At the time, I believe I was vaguely familiar with the soundtrack to
Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain. I hadn’t given it a full listen though, definitely not the one it deserved. When I picked up the soundtrack for a proper listen, I had not seen the film (I have yet to rectify this). At the time I first listened to
Amélie , I was going through a lot of soundtracks. Mainly because of the mood a good soundtrack can create. Thanks to Monsieur Tiersen, I believe that gold has been struck.
OK, I’m getting ahead of myself. Here goes the disclaimer – I am ferociously biased in favour of this music. I think, quite frankly, it’s one of the best things I’ve ever had the honour to listen to. Anything negative that can be heard here, has been lost in my overwhelming love for this thing.
I’m not going to do a track-by-track, because honestly if you gave me any song off
Amélie I’d put my feet up and sigh warmly. I’m just going to pick out some of the ones I love most:
‘La Valse d’Amelie’ – Tiersen’s soulful, rich accordion takes us on a ride, accompanied by little else except some tinkly noises. Just after the 1:30 mark, some simple percussion starts, and then everything blows up into rainbows.
‘Sur Le Fil’ – A beautiful piano piece, drenched in melancholy. It’s not a wretched, depressed kind of sadness though – this is majestic and noble sadness. Exquisite.
‘A Quai’ – An upbeat piece of music, this puts an image in my mind of running through Paris at night (joyfully, of course). I’d attempt to pick apart the instrumentation, which is built up of lovingly layered different things, but I can’t be bothered. Take it as it is.
‘Comptine d'un autre été : L'après-midi’ – Besides hearing one of the best pieces of piano in recent memory, you can also hear my heart melting on this track.
If
Amélie the film is even half as good as its soundtrack, then it’s a pretty brilliant film. I will grudgingly acknowledge that this album is pretty formulaic with its highs and lows, but that detracts nothing from the music. Listen to ‘The Banquet’ and tell me your heart is not now touching the ceiling.
This review has drained me to write, but in a good way. If you have a soul and a pair of ears, you will fall in love with
Amélie.
Colour: Deep, rich, bright red
Rating: Classic, 10
Recommended: Oui
