^{Credit: Little Amélie or the Character of Rain (GKIDS)}

There are a handful of special movies with the power to make one say, “That’s childhood.” Little Amélie or the Character of Rain captures a specific point in a child’s early development. It’s a time when everything is new and the universe seemingly revolves around you. Through Amélie’s wide, green eyes, it’s as if she can bend reality at will. Amélie inevitably learns that some things are beyond her control. For the animators behind the drawings, though, anything is truly possible. Animation serves as the ideal medium to convey the limitless curiosity, confusion, and creativity of a growing mind. Little Amélie isn’t just one of the best animated movies of the year, but one that reminds us why the art form has more advantages than live-action.

Like its titular character, the story is simple on the surface, but so much is bubbling underneath. Amélie (Loïse Charpentier) is born to a typical family with loving parents, an adoring sister, and a bratty brother. Although Amélie remains silent for over two years, her mind is abuzz with thoughts as she takes in her surroundings. She narrates her life as if it were a novel, which makes sense, given that this is an adaptation of Amélie Nothomb’s book. With her third birthday approaching, Amélie finally erupts like a floodgate. Amélie views herself as the center of the universe, albeit not in an egotistical way. At Amélie’s age, few children realize that there’s a world beyond themselves.

Amélie thinks she’s invincible like a god who can part the sea. In reality, the sea will swallow Amélie whole without someone else to fish her out. Amélie eventually finds that she isn’t the only one weighed down by mortality. She learns about life and death from her Japanese nanny Nishio-san (Victoria Grosbois). Although her family is from Belgium, Amélie spends much of her upbringing in Japan due to her father’s job. Amélie falls in love with Japanese culture, despite receiving spiteful glares from her family’s elderly landlord, who hasn’t moved on from World War II. 

Just as Amélie immerses herself in Japan’s natural beauty, you a see the impact that anime had on directors Maïlys Vallade and Liane-Cho Han. While this marks the duo’s directorial debut, Little Amélie echoes their past work on films like Long Way North and Calamity, a Childhood of Martha Jane Cannary. Those two films, which Rémi Chaye directed, stood out with inviting pastel colors and a liberating lack of outlines. Production designer Eddine Noël brings a similar Aesthetic to Little Amélie, perfectly complementing the innocence of its free-spirited protagonist. Innocence can only last for so long, however.

If I have a qualm with Little Amélie, it’s that the film is too short. At a little over 70 minutes, I wanted/needed more time with these characters. In a way, though, this aligns with the film’s main theme. Childhood is fleeting and easily taken for granted. Little Amélie reawakens deep-seated memories that shaped our worldview without us even realizing it. The film takes us back to the exact moment when we realized just how insignificant we appear in the grand scheme of things. At the same time, we’re left in awe of how profound this world is.

Cartoon Saloon’s Éiru will be playing with Little Amélie in its North American theatrical release. Check out my interview with Éiru director Giovanna Ferrari here.

Nick Spake is the Author of Bright & Shiny: A History of Animation at Award Shows Volumes 1 and 2. Available Now!