Jean-Pierre
Jeunet is a director who most definitely has a cache of actors he enjoys
casting again and again. He often has big, colorful casts, and it’s fun to see
how his preferred actors might have a lead in one film, then pop up in a small
role in another, then have a memorable supporting role in a third. A lot of
variety in the types of characters they play, too – some tend to get cast
according to type, but many of “his” actors get to use some range across his
filmography. These are my favorite roles for some of my favorite reccurring
players of his.
Urbain Cancelier: Collignon (Amélie)
He’s
awful, but he’s undeniably entertaining.
Collignon makes for a great antagonist browbeating poor Lucien, and
Amélie’s secret war against him is a thing of beauty. Both scenes of him reacting to her creative
vengeance are comic gold.
Jean-Claude Dreyfus: Marcello (The
City of Lost Children)
Like a
lot of things about The City of Lost
Children, Marcello interests me in large part because of how much we don’t know about him. I like that he’s less of an outright bad guy
and more of a weak, somewhat demoralized guy who hasn’t yet worked up the nerve
to do good. That, and I love the whole
circus/sideshow motif going on between him and the Octopus, so the “ringmaster
fallen from grace” vibe is neat.
Ticky Holgado:
Germain Pire (A Very Long
Engagement)
Ah, the
peerless pry! Cheerfully-tenacious but
only-moderately-effective private investigator with a soft spot. I enjoy this character a lot, and the brief
montages of him chasing Tina Lombardi’s trail add some nice levity to the
proceedings.
Serge Merlin:
Raymond Dufayel (Amélie)
This
one’s a no-brainer. Obsessive,
crotchety, and literally unable to be touched by another human being, but
Dufayel is just lovely. I love his slow,
tentative friendship with Amélie, how he’s just as nosy as she is and gets up
in her business despite his protestations of indifference. I like the (very) thinly-veiled discussions
drawing parallels between Amélie and the girl with the glass, and the last
scene with the videotape is wonderful.
Yolande Moreau:
Mama Chow (Micmacs)
True,
Moreau has more to do and is probably more entertaining in Amélie, but I really like Mama Chow. In the little family that the characters have
cobbled together, she’s pretty much everyone’s mom, regardless of age or
circumstance. She’s equal parts maternal
and practical, and I really like the scene where she convinces Bazil to fill
the rest of them in on his plans and let them help him.
Ron Perlman:
One (The City of Lost Children)
It might
be odd to count Perlman among Jeunet’s regulars, since he only made this film
and Alien: Resurrection, the less of which said the
better, but One is so fantastic, he earns Perlman a slot here. Easily-confused but brave, determined, and
loyal to a fault, One rocks, and his adorable relationship with Miette is made
of win.
Dominique Pinon: The Clones (The City of Lost Children)
Honestly,
I like all of Pinon’s appearances in Jeunet films, even Alien: Resurrection, but I
just love the clones so much. While
Pinon is no Tatiana Maslany, he’s not supposed to be. The clones are largely interchangeable,
childlike adults with the misfortune to have Krank for a brother. I especially like the scene of one clone telling
Krank about his dreams and another slips in seamlessly as the first one starts
to nod off.
Rufus:
Robert Kube (Delicatessen)
Another
tough one, because I love Rufus as Amélie’s dad, but ultimately, I had to go
with Robert. This part has it all: novelty noisemaker production, late-night
bouts of well-intentioned derring do, and unflattering insults from the voices
in the head of his suicidal would-be lover.
Where else but in a Jeunet movie, people?
Audrey Tautou:
Amélie Poulain (Amélie)
All the
best to Mathilde, but no way no how can you compete with Amélie. I love her so much. Her whimsy, her determination, her fear, her
shyness, her stratagems – every bit of her is glorious. Tautou plays this beautifully-written part to
perfection, and I will love her forever for it; it’s just that kind of role.
Thank you for that lovely presentation of Jeunet actors and roles. I agree that it is great how he makes use of them in different ways in different films. And yes, Tautou as Amelie is top of them all. Probably my favorite character and performance of all time.
ReplyDeleteYeah, Amelie is really something else. Film, character, performance--it's all incredible. That was the first Jeunet film I saw, and as much as I love the others, Amelie is still my first love.
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