I was surprised to find out that not all of this music was written specifically for Amelie. Yann Tiersen is a guy who, apparently, records by himself and is a veritable Einstein of musical instruments. He plays accordion, guitar, bass, banjo, piano, harpsicord, mandolin, vibraphone, and toy piano among other things. The dominant instruments are accordion and piano, for your information. Apparently he's recorded a bunch of albums already, and some of his old tunes are on here, although you wouldn't be able to pick out the old from the new, except for the fact that some of Amelie songs have the recognizable Amelie "valse," or "waltz," in them.

This is the perfect mix of European classical music and experimentalism. A number of the songs are waltzes and would fit in fine with a period film. This compliments the movie because Amelie herself looks like an old movie star put into a post-modern film. The music is the same way. "Pas Si Simple" starts with a typewriter clicking and clacking and that becomes the percussion of another waltz. The orchestral version of "La Valse D'Amelie" is complimented by the toy piano to childishly magical effect. "Soir De Fete" sticks out from the accordion and piano-dominated songs with its mandolins and handclaps, and it ends with a music box playing "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah." It's a strangely unnerving song. The seven-minute "Sur Le Fil" features some really dextrous violin work, again, done by Tiersen. Overall, it will make you feel like you've been to Paris, seen a circus and a funeral procession, walked around a bit, and then come back. And it will make your day much better.


Great music, but.....   November 7, 2005
 67 out of 68 found this review helpful

For any that have not seen this movie nor heard the music, you are missing one of the greatest of all time. This is a must see movie, and once you see it, you will want the music.
This CD however, is the same as the Amelie soundtrack with the green cover, that costs about 30 dollars less! The only difference of this cd is the cover, which was marketed for japan. Do not waste money on this cd, get the soundtrack with the green cover.



Love, Dreams, and Amelie   November 27, 2001
 60 out of 62 found this review helpful

This is my first review. All my senses are telling me not to write anything; but, I must say something about this work of song.

My best friend came to visit me from home during Thanksgiving. He wanted to watch Amelie in the old theater we have because he knew it would take such a long time to get to Puerto Rico. I went in because I love movies and I was also intrigued by what I had seen of it.

My heart was ambushed. The story played before me and love filled my soul. The music was a warm, slow, and gentle stream flowing through me, threatening to spill through my fingertips. Comtine D'un Autre Ete: L'apres Midi, the first of Amelie's masterpieces. Once this song was played, I was hooked, and Jean-Pierre Jeunet, along with Yann Tiersen, had my full attention.

Though without a doubt, the director of Amelie did a spectacular job of movie making, without the music of Yann Tiersen, it would never have been as powerful. When La Valse D'Amelie played, I felt like standing up and dancing as a fool. The first love I had ever felt for my girlfriend returned and made me want to laugh so hard, and be so happy, that I almost cried a little for not having the courage to do it then and there. (Then again, it might have been because some foreign film-junkie would have order me to sit my behind down again)

And then they played Pas Si Simple, and I was back in the small cobblestone streets of Paris riding my bycicle faster and faster though I have never traveled once there, maybe in some other life perhaps, but faster and faster as people passed me quickly and I caught a faint view of them waving though I kept going down the winding streets, of Paris.

Im sorry. I dont usually speak this way. I like it when people tell me of something they love or admire and put it in the words that their soul demands. However, to speak of this music, I have to try my very best to describe its beauty.

Beauty, and beautiful. Two words I do not take likely.

These songs, this music, are beautiful.


Charming soundtrack brings Amelie's magic to life!   February 28, 2002
 45 out of 48 found this review helpful

The soundtrack to Le fabuleux destin d'Amelie Poulin is every bit as charming, magical and unexpected as the film. Besides the ubiquitous Parisian accordion, the soundtrack sways gently with waltzes, including three versions of Amelie's waltz: accordion, orchestral and the haunting piano version, "L'autre valse d'Amelie," "La valse des monstres," and "La valse des vieux os." There are touches of Gypsy violin, toy piano, bells and typewriters that also add their voices to the soundtrack. All of the songs are instrumental with the exception of "Guilty" and "Si tu n'etais pas la," vintage performances complete with record hiss that bring back memories of Edith Piaf and black and white films from the 1930s and 1940s.

Piano also plays a central role in the soundtrack ("Comptine d'ete," "Le Moulin," "La valse d'Amelie," "Sur le fil," "La redecouverte" and "La dispute") and is balanced out by vibraphone, harpsichord, toy piano, guitar, banjo and bass, all played by multi-instrumentalist Breton composer Yann Tiersen. Many of the songs from "Amelie" were taken from Tiersen's earlier recordings, but all of the songs capture the charm of Montmartre and the spontaneous joie de vivre feel of the film. This is like a vacation to Paris on CD, and definitely the best soundtrack of the last few years. Buy it and let Amelie bring some magic to your life!


Melancholic Melody and Whimsical Lullabyes   November 20, 2001
 32 out of 32 found this review helpful

A great soundtrack to an even greater movie, "Le Fabuleaux Destin d'Amelie Poulain" is a showcase for Yann Tiersen's masterful use of atmosphere in music.

Give director Jean-Pierre Jeunet credit for his hands-off approach -- Tiersen, who doesn't often have very many nice things to say about directors and the movie scoring process, was given free reign to do whatever he wanted on this project. And what he wanted to do, apparently, was to recycle many of his old songs that fit the mood of the film, all of which have an otherworldly-yet-familiar feel to them, while adding an equal number of new compositions to round out the collection. The result of Tiersen's autonomy was a unified soundtrack that captures the mood of both the film and the composer.

This album -- almost exclusively instumental -- features nine songs compiled from Yann Tiersen's other albums (from 1995's "La Valse des Monstres" to this year's "L'Absente"), nine new Tiersen compositions (a handful of which are variations on the "Valse d'Amelie" theme, all of which are fortunately distinct enough to merit life on their own), and two 1930s songs featuring vocals ("Guilty" and "Si Tu n'Etais Pas La" both contribute to the nostaligic air of the movie, especially with the old vocal style).

Really, there's no way to adequately classify the accordion-driven folksy milimalist lullabyes that permeate this collection. Whether using orchestral touches, retro-future instruments straight out of an Ed Wood movie, or just playing the piano, Tiersen puts an alternately melancholy and jubilant edge on beauty while doing a magnificent job at evoking the whimsy and nostalgia of "Amelie." The source of Tiersen's music, just like the Paris of "Amelie," seems to be located in some alternate dimension, maybe a parallel universe that never escaped from the 1950s.

"Amelie" is a wonderful example of an excellent movie turned into an instant classic through a soundtrack that perfectly captures the mood of the film and adds another layer of depth to an already formidable medium. See the movie, and buy the soundtrack.