The City of Lost Children 10/10

The City of Lost Children (R) 1995
Reviewer’s Tilt (10)
Foreign-112min
Special DVD Features worth a look- Director/Actor Commentary

The City of Lost Children is a fresh twist on the artsy post apocalyptic genre. While dark and twisted, the film details entertaining characters interacting along an inspired storyline. The typical effects laden, post-apocalypse film contemplates the sad lot of its one-dimensional characters. By contrast, this film focuses on complex characters, transcending their squalid surroundings, in search of their own preconceptions of love, loyalty, honesty and happiness. The plot revolves around the slow, but good-hearted sideshow strongman “One” (Ron Perlman). One is searching for his kidnapped ward Denree (Joseph Lucien), secreted off to a hidden laboratory by Krank (Daniel Emilfork), a genetically flawed madman. Krank cannot dream, and must extract the pleasant dreams of children to stop his premature aging. One allies himself with nine-year old Miette (Judith Vittet), leader of a gang of orphan thieves. Together they set off on the Herculean task of rescuing Denree.

Along the way, the two encounter clones, murder, bottled dreams and some rather ingenious trained fleas. The sets, costumes (Jean-Paul Gaultier), CGI, cinematography, effects, direction, screenwriting and direction all gel perfectly into a milestone of movie making magic. Director Jean-Pierre Jeunet picks at the film on the commentary track, but most of his perceived flaws remain invisible to the viewer. The story is fresh, the acting superb, the costumes incredible, the sets stunning and the direction flawless. The film could easily be mistaken for collaboration between Federico Fellini, Terry Gilliam, Salvador Dali, Alex Proyas and the Wachowski brothers. The result is even more than the sum of its incredible parts. From the overlapping dialogue of the ruthless conjoined twins, to the hilarious expressions of the clones, to the deadpan brain in a tank, the film rivets the viewer with a precise mix of action, humor, suspense, horror and drama. In French with English subtitles, this dark glance is not for everyone, but for fans of the genre, The City of Lost Children is not to be missed.

Format: Color, Pan and scan, Widescreen Anamorphic, Closed captioned.
Sound: (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround), French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround), Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround)
Extras: Commentary by director Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Lead Actor Ron Perlman, Costume Design Gallery, Production Sketch Gallery, Trailer.