In rewatching the 2001 hit French romantic comedy Amélie, I thought about how if Wes Anderson wasn’t so obsessed with precious, dollhouse-like formality (however visually pleasing) and rendering his characters as mannequin-like as possible, he’d probably be making films like this one.

Or not. They are, to be fair, different filmmakers, but many of the Andersonian hallmarks—repeated 4th wall breaks; hyperfocus on the lives of oddballs; distinct visual panache—appear in Amélie, and it’s hard not to think of Anderson when the deadpan over-voice begins his narration or when a character turns to the camera and makes some humorous aside. Anderson’s reputation in world cinema has reached something of a zenith, as well (whereas Jeunet’s has dipped considerably), so he’s in the zeitgeist heavily enough to inspire comparison.

But the main difference between the films (that I’ve seen) of Jeunet and Anderson is that no matter how quirky and self-aware Jeunet’s style is, his characters still smack of reality. Anderson’s for the most part, and at least post Bottle Rocket, do not. And while both directors prioritize a winsome attitude, whenever depth is attempted in Amélie the film never strains, lightly balancing poignance and whimsicality while Anderson’s attempts at deeper meta-fiction (I’m thinking of moments from his recent Asteroid City, specifically) more often fall flat on their face. […]