# Cité des enfants perdus, La (1995)

### reviewed by
Frankie Paiva

    The City of Lost Children (R) ***
    Starring Ron Perlman, Judith Vittet
    Directed by Marc Caro and Jean-Pierre Jeunet
    Year Released: 1995
    A Review by Frankie Paiva

I am constantly intrigued by how different films are in all of the countries around the world. The entire universe is bursting with talent and the most gifted filmmakers may not live on this continent. Several recent imports have supported this theory, but the statement also holds true for a handful of video releases. This is the case with The City of Lost Children. The City of Lost Children is one of those movies that is so incredibly strange, so extremely bizarre, that it takes two or three viewings to fully grasp the plot and the ending. Some of the most amazing art and set direction as well as cinematography is present here from the directors of the cannibal film Delicatessen. From the beginning of the film to the very last frame we are assaulted with astoundingly beautiful images that make up for the lack of a comprehensible storyline. If you don't get what the film is about, don't worry, just read my summary carefully again.

Krank (Daniel Emilfork) is a professor who is tormented because he cannot dream. He has assembled a laboratory in the middle of the ocean to test children and sees if he can figure out what makes them dream. He has many blind henchmen who steal children for him so that they can be tested. He is assisted by a group of wacky brothers (who are all clones of each other) and by his wife who he accidentally shrunk into a midget.

One day Denree (Joseph Lucien), a little boy, is stolen by Krank and sent to his laboratory. Denree's huge big brother (Perlman), who is a circus strongman, tries to go after him and get him back. On his journey, he makes friends with Miette. She is a girl who is the head of a group of children who steals jewels and other valuables for a pair of conjoined twins who run a city orphanage. The two begin to form an unlikely bond (as it's what always happens in films) and the two are faced with several life or death situations. There's a subplot involving which one of Krank's clones is the original copy, and that leads to an interesting set of events near the ending. This turn of events will take more than a couple of viewings to get. Sound complicated? It is. But aren't all films from foreign countries?

The visual world that envelops you in The City of Lost Children is amazing. This is helped by an extremely original (if hard to get) script that was written by Gilles Adrien and Jean-Pierre Jeunet. It's at quite a different pace then most French films, and definitely at a different tone than anything from Delicatessen. However, despite some creepy performances (Genevieve Brunet and Odile Mallet are perfection in their affecting Siamese twin role) and a wonderful sense of atmosphere, there isn't much left in the film. Ron Perlman plays the lead character without any showing acting ability whatsoever. From the beginning of the film we instantly do not like him and thus make it hard for us to care about anything that happens to him throughout the rest of the movie. Miette is also a weak link. Young Vittet is good in the role, but she's so tough and self dependent that it's hard to find what she sees in him. A nice movie to look and marvel at, but lacking in story and likable characters, The City of Lost Children gets *** stars.

ADDITIONAL NOTE: If you rent the film, make sure that you get the subtitled and not the dubbed version. The dubbed version has voices that are very hard to understand and takes away from the unique performances in the film.

The Young-Uns: Two acts of violence are almost seen. (For instance, a man is shown holding a knife in front of another man's eye with the intent on stabbing him, but the camera cuts away and all we hear is a scream.) Besides the fact that it's extremely bizarre, there is also some brief drug use. Good Age: 14 & Up

A Review by Frankie Paiva The 12 Year-Old Movie Reviewer E-Mail me at SwpStke@aol.com Visit my website at http://www.homestead.com/teenagemoviecritic/mainpage.html

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