La Belle Amélie

Evidence that the cinema-going British public want more than tepid action yarns and thrill-free thrillers, French-language masterpiece Am ie drew punters to the screens in droves over the weekend outclassing both Sylvester Stallone's Driven and Angelina Jolie and Antonio Banderas' erotic romp Original Sin. Though failing to keep Moulin Rouge from the box office top spot, Amélie Marked the highest ever opening for a French-language film, trouncing previous title-holder Cyrano de Bergerac. Jean-Pierre Jeunet's touching, yet quirky tale of a kind-hearted Parisian girl, captured the hearts of Britons and made a sturdy £559,747. Second only to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon's success as a foreign-language film in the UK, Amélie's glowing reception just goes to show that not everyone's cinema-going habits are governed by a Bruckheimer complex. A sure contender for film of the year, Amélie is essential viewing and if you haven't seen it yet then you're missing out. Not convinced? Well click here to read our review.