Movie Description
In THE CITY OF LOST CHILDREN, an imaginative fantasy from the creators of DELICATESSEN, a prematurely aging mad scientist named Krank (Daniel Emilfork) kidnaps children so he can steal their dreams. However, Krank runs into trouble when his henchmen grab Denrée (Joseph Lucien), a little boy whose adopted brother, One (Ron Perelman), is a circus strongman. One desperately tries to find Denrée and begs for help from Miette (Judith Vittet), a 9-year-old girl who heads up a gang of orphans. Together, One and Miette finally find Krank's castle, meeting along the way the lost identical brother--the original--of the three clones (each played by Dominique Pinon) who serve as Krank's assistants.
French directors Marc Caro and Jean-Pierre Jeunet once again prove their technical prowess with this dark fairy tale, which features outstanding performances from its youthful cast (most notably Vittet). As is the case with DELICATESSEN, however, their genius in constructing a highly artificial, beautiful, believable world threatens to overshadow the story. But even the fantastic sets cannot compare to the bizarre spectacles that Jeunet and Caro dream up. In one unforgettable scene, a pair of evil Siamese twin sisters prepare dinner, their four arms working perfectly in sync--one holding vegetables for another to chop while a third stirs the soup and a fourth scratches their collective itches. Frequent David Lynch collaborator Angelo Badalamenti creates the chilling, circusy musical score that adds to the film's magic.
| Credits | | Cast: | Daniel Emilfork, Dominique Pinon, Jean-Louis Trintignant, Joseph Lucien, Judith Vittet, Mireille Mosse |
| Details | | Edition: | Dubbed English; Original French | | Sound: | HiFi Sound, Stereo Sound, Surround Sound |
Notes
Theatrical release: December 15, 1995 (in New York City).
Additional credits include: Jean-Marc Tostivint, Gregoire Barachin, Christophe Douchand (assistant directors); Pierre-Jacques Benichou (casting); Patrick Cauderlier (stunt coordinator).
This film was acclaimed fashion designer Jean-Paul Gaultier's first foray into costume design in movies. He later designed the costumes for Luc Besson's THE PROFESSIONAL.
Additional credits: Jean-Marc Tostivint, Gregoire Barachin, Christophe Douchand (assistant directors); Pierre-Jacques Benichou (casting); Patrick Cauderlier (stunt coordinator).
Additional cast: Genevieve Brunet/Odile Mallet (The Octopus), Mireille Mosse (Miss Bismuth), Serge Merlin (Cyclops Leader), Francois Hadji-Lazaro (The Killer -- Cyclops), Ticky Holgado (The Ex-Acrobat), Dominique Bettenfeld (Bogdan), Lotfi Yahyajedidi (Melchior), Thierry Gibault (Brutus), Mapi Galan (Lune), Briac Barthelemy (Bottle), Alexis Pivot (Tadpole), Leo Rubion (Jeannot), Pierre Quentin-Faesch (Pipo), Frankie Pain (The Barmaid), Guillaume Billod-Morel (First Child), Ham-Chau Luong (The Tattoo Artist), Hong-Mai Thomas (The Tattoo Artist's Wife), Daniel Adric (A Cyclops), Enrique Villanueva (The Spaniard) and Chris Huerta (Father Christmas).
Editorial Reviews
"...Clever....Brilliant warmer moments..."
USA Today - p.8D - Mike Clark
"...Gleefully evokes a world inspired by carnival grotesquerie..." -- Rating: A-
Entertainment Weekly - pp.62-3 - Nisid Hajari
"A vibrant, bubbling cauldron of breathtaking f/x, gross-out humor and in-your-face imagery..."
Variety - Derek Elley
"...A stunningly surreal fantasy, a fable of longing and danger, of heroic deeds and bravery, set in a brilliantly realized world of its own. It is one of the most audacious, original films of the year..."
Los Angeles Times - p.F8 - Kevin Thomas
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