Amelie: Original Soundtrack Recording

This sunny comic fable from idiosyncratic director Jean-Pierre Jeunet (City of Lost Children, Alien Resurrection, Delicatessen) boasts any number of intimate charms, not the least of which is Yann Tiersen's warmly inviting score. Composer and multi-instrumentalist Tiersen's work and training may have masterfully encompassed classical, pop, and rock, but his delightful Amélie music proves he is slave to none. In this, his fourth soundtrack, Tiersen displays an impressive command of idiom and melodic subtlety that's rightfully drawn comparisons to the great Nino Rota. With a Paris-set story driven by blossoming love, the composer frequently leans on the familiar Parisian street accordion motif as a starting point. If that sounds clichéd, it's anything but; Tiersen's delicate touch incorporates Gypsy flourishes, classical string ensembles, electronics, stark and lovely solo piano, and even minimalist technique--often in the same charming cue. The result is music that manages to sound variously breezy, fresh, and contemporary, yet somehow comfortably familiar. Amélie is a warm, postmodernist score that never forgets where its heart lies. --Jerry McCulley