Amazon.com

The title credit for Delicatessen reads "Presented by Terry Gilliam," and it's easy to understand why the director of Brazil was so supportive of this outrageously black French comedy from 1991. Like Gilliam, French codirectors Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Marc Caro have wildly inventive imaginations that gravitate to the darker absurdities of human behavior, and their visual extravagance is matched by impressive technical skill. Here, making their feature debut, Jeunet and Caro present a postapocalyptic scenario set entirely in a dank and gloomy building where the landlord operates a delicatessen on the ground floor. But this is an altogether meatless world, so the butcher-landlord keeps his customers happy by chopping unsuspecting victims into cutlets, and he's sharpening his knife for a new tenant (French comic actor Dominque Pinon) who's got the hots for the butcher's nearsighted daughter! Delicatessen is a feast (if you will) of hilarious vignettes, slapstick gags, and sweetly eccentric characters, including a man in a swampy room full of frogs, a woman doggedly determined to commit suicide (she never gets its right), and a pair of brothers who make toy sound boxes that "moo" like cows. It doesn't amount to much as a story, but that hardly matters; this is the kind of comedy that springs from a unique wellspring of imagination and inspiration, and it's handled with such visual virtuosity that you can't help but be mesmerized. There's some priceless comedy happening here, some of which is so inventive that you may feel the urge to stand up and cheer. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (63)

A black comedy about having the neighbors for dinner...
What can you possibly say about a post-apocalyptic surrealist black comedy about the landlord of a decaying apartment building who creates cannibalistic meals for his tenants who are some of the weirdest characters you will ever find on film? This is a world in which protein is hard to come by and the little old lady across the hall is starting to look good. "Delicatessen," a 1991 French film directed by Marc Caro and Jean-Pierre Jeunet, is certainly imaginative but equally rude, a world in which good taste is certainly a relative concept. Of all the tenants trying to avoid being served up as dinner by their neighbors, the best is the woman who keeps trying to commit suicide but whose attempts, um, go slightly astray (I will say no more). This film is certainly on my evolving list of Top 10 Black Comedies, certainly much better than "Eating Raoul," the obvious American cinematic counterpart.

This is especially for francophiles!
This movie is my all-time favorite and for many reasons. If you see it for no other reason, the coordination between the bouncing on the bed, cello playing, painting, mooing toys, etc is well worth it. This scene is a perfect example of why this movie is so amazing. I saw it for the first time on the Independent Film Channel and jumped at every chance afterwards to see it again. The characters are brilliant and you lose yourself in their quirks. Even those who don't speak French will appreciate the movie as a lot of the beauty of the film isn't in the dialogues, but in the style, backgrounds, and subtleties throughout. If there was one movie that everyone should see, this is it. It gives a nice picture of the dark side of humanity without being too frightening and preachy. Plus I am a big fan of Dominique Pinon.

A pity this isn't available
I find it hard to believe this isn't available on DVD when there is so much junk out there that is still available. This film isn't that old. I really hope they bring it out on DVD. I first saw it when I was learning French and years later when I could speak French. Both times it was great.

Dark movie shining bright.
If there is a Hollywood director closest to Jeunet, then it would have to be Tim Burton. Domnique Pinon's character brings to mind a French version of Edward Scissorhands or Ichobald Crane from 'Sleepy Hollow'. The out of place new guy who's blatantly unaware of the machinations that lie behind the faces he sees. In 'Delicatessen' Jeunet spends a lot of time focusing on faces and you get the feeling that it must have been a lot of fun casting this film. Each actor seems to have been chosen as much for their extraordinary face as for their acting abilities. Not a frame is wasted as every facial tick bears with it the same intensity of expression as every action sequence.

Like Burton, Jeunet also came to film direction through animated shorts and it's this animated sensibility that has given him the discipline and vision to create truly amazing live action films. Which is one of the main reasons why this subtitled film seems to be such a success with American audiences. It thrives on that most American of cinematic sensibilities, a heightened sense of unreality. Most European movies prefer to dwell on the emotions that lurk beneath the mundane aspects of everyday life. Not so stateside where such an elevation of the ordinary is met with the Homeric cry of "Bo-ring!" It's not surprising then that European directors such as Jeunet and Pedro Almodovar will continue to have success across the water as long as their fantastical and colourful stories glitter bright in the land that likes to dazzle.

STUNNED...
That was my impression after watching through this very strange movie.

I had started watching it expecting a "weird French film", and that was indeed what I got at first. I couldn't believe the atmosphere that the directors had created in this film, though I imagine it might have been somewhat familiar to some Francophones living in the destruction after WW2. The introductory sequence to this film is MASTERFULLY shot, and it raised my expectations quite a bit.
Unfortunately, the same level of energy didn't seem to last when the movie really started. The atmosphere was fantastic, yes, and the inventions that were made in this movie (a MUSICAL SAW?) were totally unique. However, no amount of weird atmosphere can amend a movie if the story and characters aren't up to the job. In fact, it's a lot harder to create good characters & plot for a movie like this, because the movie has to make sense within its own unique world and yet make us the viewers feel like something REAL is at stake.
For a while, it seemed like Delicatessen was only as deep as its cover; scenes whose only purpose seemed to be to show the inventions of the movie dragged on too long, and the various conversations that the tenants of the apartment building had (I'm assuming you know the general story here) seemed to have no meaning. The Troglodytes that came in about 1/2-way through also didn't quite seem to fit in.
However, by the end of the movie all was justified. I realized just what an enormous task the movie had done; this is not a story of just the two main characters, but a story of at about a dozen tenants of the apartment building. By the end of the movie, each tenant of the apartment building was portrayed as a unique individual, and each had their own story. These mini-stories are masterfully weaved through the main plot of the movie, and much to the movie's benefit, because I came to care for these secondary characters as much as for the main ones.

The movie was also DEEPLY disturbing for me to watch. It doesn't wince at talking about the subject of cannibalism, and the true worth of a human being. It was very disconcerning when I realized, near the end, that this movie had something to say about OUR world as well, and it was not a very approving message.

As strange as it may sound, this could really happen.
Watch the film, and think about it. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The fantastic visions of Belgian filmmakers Marc Caro and Jean-Pierre Jeunet find full fruition in this fairy tale for adults. Evoking utopias and dystopias from Brazil to Peter Pan, Caro and Jeunet create a vivid but menacing fantasy city in a perpetually twilight world. In this rough port town lives circus strongman One (Ron Perlman), who wanders the alleys and waterfront dives looking for his baby brother, snatched from him by a mysterious gang preying upon the children of the town. Rising from the harbor is an enigmatic castle where lives the evil scientist Krank (Daniel Emilfork), who has lost the ability to dream and robs the nocturnal visions of the children he kidnaps, but receives only mad nightmares from the lonely cherubs. Other wild characters include the Fagin-like Octopus--Siamese twin sisters who control a small gang of runaways-turned-thieves--Krank's six cloned henchmen (all played by the memorable Dominique Pinon from Delicatessen), and a giant brain floating in an aquarium (voiced by Jean-Louis Trintignant). Caro and Jeunet are kindred souls to Terry Gilliam (who is a vocal fan), creating imaginative flights of fancy built of equal parts delight and dread, which seem to be painted on the screen in rich, dreamy colors. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (172)

Yes, Urban Fairy-Tales Do Exist.
The first time I heard of CITY was after I saw ALIEN: Resurrection (another neo-classic stoner fantasy); I wanted to see more movies by this young French director (or wherever the Deuce he's from). The title impressed me immediately.

THE CITY OF LOST CHILDREN

How can you deny the appeal of such an interesting title? Even better, one of my favorite actors was in it: Ron Perlman, among the top five most versatile American actors. It was a year after hearing about the movie that I actually saw it; believe it or not: It was worth the wait.

Essentially, someone's stealing kids and when those someones steal the wrong kid, D'Henri, the "little brother" of circus strongman, Mr. One (Perlman), it sets into motion a series of events culminating into a beautiful street fairy-tale. It's got a group of child-thieves and a Siamese Twin ring-leader, a Mad Scientist and several clones, a disembodied brain and a midget wife, a group of blind zealots collectively known as the "Cyclops," hypnotizing fleas, and a little boy who can't stop eating. Who can resist all that?

Great color and surprisingly good special effects. It should come out on DVD, if it isn't already. (Hey, I'm talking to you, people who make DVDs. Whoever you are.)

The Greatest Film of all time!
The City of Lost Children is absuloutely the greatest film ever made. From Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Marc Caro comes a twisted fairy tale with a load of villains and heros. It bases in a strange, twisted, floating city. Where a carnival strongman takes a poor, homeless boy into his home. But the evil Cyclops that terrorize the city kidnap. That's when the adventure begins. He then goes searching for him and teams up with a small girl named Miette. Together, the strong man (One) and Miette. Go searching for the lost boy. They soon enter a strange underworld. Learning that a madman played perfectly by Daniel Emilfork, a Princess, and six bumbling, clumbsy clones are kidnapping childre because the madman(Krank) was created with the others by a perfessor and Krank can't dream. So now they kidnap children and steal their dreams. But all the children fear him and have nightmares. Krank soon buys One's child from the Cyclops and uses him in his master plan. Now Miette and One bind a relationship while two evil twins hunt them down, while meeting a strange scuba diver, a psychotic circusman, and the Cyclops layer. All of the adventure is jammed pack into one movie. It's my favorite, I can't take my eyes off of it. See this film! The Directors and great and also directed a similar film, Delicatessan.

jacque le blew- this blew!!!!!!!!
i take back my title , maybe this movie just wasn't for everyone. the dubbing was awful, and story just dragged on for too long. but all isn't lost........ the movie is visually stunning!! thats it take it or leave it!

The wierdest movie I've ever seen!
This was one of the most bizarre and well done movies I've ever seen. It took me about three times watching it to understand the plot completely, but it was well worth it. The children in the movie are fabulos, and the visuals are really amazing. If you have not already seen this movie, I would highly recommend it.

One of the best
So few movies these days really capture my mind. This is one of those movies from start to finish hands down one of the best. City of Lost Children is not for everyone but it's smart creative storytelling is all there. Dark humor and twisted effects set the tone for this film. if your a fan of a sweet films and dark humor than give this movie a try ... Read more

Amazon.com

The fantastic visions of Belgian filmmakers Marc Caro and Jean-Pierre Jeunet find full fruition in this fairy tale for adults. Evoking utopias and dystopias from Brazil to Peter Pan, Caro and Jeunet create a vivid but menacing fantasy city in a perpetually twilight world. In this rough port town lives circus strongman One (Ron Perlman), who wanders the alleys and waterfront dives looking for his baby brother, snatched from him by a mysterious gang preying upon the children of the town. Rising from the harbor is an enigmatic castle where lives the evil scientist Krank (Daniel Emilfork), who has lost the ability to dream and robs the nocturnal visions of the children he kidnaps, but receives only mad nightmares from the lonely cherubs. Other wild characters include the Fagin-like Octopus--Siamese twin sisters who control a small gang of runaways-turned-thieves--Krank's six cloned henchmen (all played by the memorable Dominique Pinon from Delicatessen), and a giant brain floating in an aquarium (voiced by Jean-Louis Trintignant). Caro and Jeunet are kindred souls to Terry Gilliam (who is a vocal fan), creating imaginative flights of fancy built of equal parts delight and dread, which seem to be painted on the screen in rich, dreamy colors. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (172)

Yes, Urban Fairy-Tales Do Exist.
The first time I heard of CITY was after I saw ALIEN: Resurrection (another neo-classic stoner fantasy); I wanted to see more movies by this young French director (or wherever the Deuce he's from). The title impressed me immediately.

THE CITY OF LOST CHILDREN

How can you deny the appeal of such an interesting title? Even better, one of my favorite actors was in it: Ron Perlman, among the top five most versatile American actors. It was a year after hearing about the movie that I actually saw it; believe it or not: It was worth the wait.

Essentially, someone's stealing kids and when those someones steal the wrong kid, D'Henri, the "little brother" of circus strongman, Mr. One (Perlman), it sets into motion a series of events culminating into a beautiful street fairy-tale. It's got a group of child-thieves and a Siamese Twin ring-leader, a Mad Scientist and several clones, a disembodied brain and a midget wife, a group of blind zealots collectively known as the "Cyclops," hypnotizing fleas, and a little boy who can't stop eating. Who can resist all that?

Great color and surprisingly good special effects. It should come out on DVD, if it isn't already. (Hey, I'm talking to you, people who make DVDs. Whoever you are.)

The Greatest Film of all time!
The City of Lost Children is absuloutely the greatest film ever made. From Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Marc Caro comes a twisted fairy tale with a load of villains and heros. It bases in a strange, twisted, floating city. Where a carnival strongman takes a poor, homeless boy into his home. But the evil Cyclops that terrorize the city kidnap. That's when the adventure begins. He then goes searching for him and teams up with a small girl named Miette. Together, the strong man (One) and Miette. Go searching for the lost boy. They soon enter a strange underworld. Learning that a madman played perfectly by Daniel Emilfork, a Princess, and six bumbling, clumbsy clones are kidnapping childre because the madman(Krank) was created with the others by a perfessor and Krank can't dream. So now they kidnap children and steal their dreams. But all the children fear him and have nightmares. Krank soon buys One's child from the Cyclops and uses him in his master plan. Now Miette and One bind a relationship while two evil twins hunt them down, while meeting a strange scuba diver, a psychotic circusman, and the Cyclops layer. All of the adventure is jammed pack into one movie. It's my favorite, I can't take my eyes off of it. See this film! The Directors and great and also directed a similar film, Delicatessan.

jacque le blew- this blew!!!!!!!!
i take back my title , maybe this movie just wasn't for everyone. the dubbing was awful, and story just dragged on for too long. but all isn't lost........ the movie is visually stunning!! thats it take it or leave it!

The wierdest movie I've ever seen!
This was one of the most bizarre and well done movies I've ever seen. It took me about three times watching it to understand the plot completely, but it was well worth it. The children in the movie are fabulos, and the visuals are really amazing. If you have not already seen this movie, I would highly recommend it.

One of the best
So few movies these days really capture my mind. This is one of those movies from start to finish hands down one of the best. City of Lost Children is not for everyone but it's smart creative storytelling is all there. Dark humor and twisted effects set the tone for this film. if your a fan of a sweet films and dark humor than give this movie a try ... Read more