1. Amelie
You'll be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn't like Jean-Pierre Jeunet; it's without question the most popular French film of recent times, owing to its melding of a quirky, typically French sensibility with an unexpected level of darkness going on underneath. Though on the surface Amelie (Audrey Tatou) might seem like a sweet, affable young woman, there's a definite sinister quality to her practical jokes on others and her peculiar stalking habits. Nevertheless, it's difficult to argue with Tatou's intoxicating screen presence alongside the gorgeous cinematography and Jeunet's wonderful direction. It creates a tonic that is quite unlike anything you've seen before; whimsical, romantic, hilarious and wildly irreverent. Even cynics will find themselves struggling to stave off a smile when Tatou is cracking funnies amid the lush French backdrops. Try and pretend to dislike it, I dare you. Go on. An American remake was in the work, though thankfully, logic and justice prevailed, since the project has long-stalled. Rust and Bone is
available on Blu-ray from February 25th.