The City of Lost Children (La Cite Des Enfants Perdus) - 1995

On Saturday my first lot of Fatso DVDs arrived. There is nothing quite liket snail mail arriving (as long as it's not a bill) and getting to open a package, tearing it open to see what surprises lie inside. Usually you need to send things to get mail but Fatso are quite happy to have a one way mail relationship (although I do need to send the DVDs back at some point, but there are no late fee things so it's awesome!).

The three movies to arrive were:
The City of Lost Children
Easy Rider and
Jazz On A Summer's Day

(Click the links to rent them with Fatso!)

After a couple of wineries on Saturday with some girlfriends, Sunday was definitely a movie watching day and I settled down to watch The City of Lost Children.

This is a futuristic French movie by Jeunet & Caro. Caro was a comic book artistic and you definitely get that creative out there burst with this and any of their films.

Basically, there's a mad scientist who can't dream and this makes him grow old so he steals children so he can zap their dreams and through them dream... it's crazy, surreal and highly imaginative. I know some people aren't too keen on subtitles, but the images and storytelling through images is so rich that you could watch the story unwind without having to read the subtitles.

Of note: Jean-Paul Gaultier did the costumes and they're pretty fab. So are the child actors in the movie - they are amazing, they have impeccable timing and ranges of emotion. You do have to wonder, though, whether they will be scarred for life from the weird props and scenes they were acting in... like the first scene with all the Santas! And if they're not scarred, will they connect the weird recurring nightmares/dreams they have with the film they acted in forever ago? Where are they now?

You may be more familiar with their work Amelie or A Very Long Engagement, both of which continue that surreal storytelling style you see in Lost Children.You'll enjoy it, it's delightful in a scary kinda way.

Rent Jeunet & Caro films here:
Amelie
A Very Long Engagement
Micmacs
The City of Lost Children

Remember if you use the promo code FATSO101, Fatso will give you a free three week trial when you sign up with them.  Excellent stuff.