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The City of Lost Children | 
| Directors: Jean-pierre Jeunet, Marc Caro
Actors: Marc Caro, Ron Perlman, Daniel Emilfork, Judith Vittet, Dominique Pinon
Category: Video
Buy Used: CDN$ 48.60
Rating:  144 reviews
Format: Import, Ntsc
Language: German (Original Language)
Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: VHS Tape
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 7.3 x 4.2 x 1.1
EAN: 4010324504807
ASIN: B00004RRZQ
Theatrical Release Date: December 15, 1995
Availability: Usually ships within 1 - 2 business days
Condition: Mailed from Los Angeles,USA, or Germany. It takes 1-4 weeks for delivery.Because of tax reason NO USA address SHIPPING
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| Editorial Reviews:
From 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
Chronique amazon.fr
Ce film de Caro et Jeunet (Delicatessen) est l'un des premiers films français à avoir été intégralement tourné en studio. Le résultat est impressionnant : La Cité des enfants perdus a permis au cinéma français de retrouver l'estime de ses concurrents étrangers. Destinée à un large public, cette oeuvre ne perd jamais de sa pertinence et de sa puissance poétique. Depuis Le Roi et l'Oiseau le cinéma français n'avait rien produit de tel. On ne remerciera jamais assez les deux réalisateurs pour leur inspiration et leur travail exceptionnel... --Erich Vogel
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| Customer Reviews: Read 139 more reviews...
 An original and intriguing film weighed down by a too often illogical plot October 19, 2006
Daniel Jolley (Shelby, North Carolina USA)
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
I had been dancing around this French film (with subtitles) for several months, unsure how I would react to it, but I finally took the plunge and booked my passage to The City of Lost Children (La Cité des enfants perdus). Now I could sit here and ooh and aah all over the place about how beautiful and original this film is, but I have to give it to you straight: the story is almost completely illogical. This is one of your "most of what I learned about the film came from reading the plot summary" kind of movie. It's fascinating in its dark, fantastical way, of course, but I would really have liked to have a plot I could follow. The setting is unworldly it's like they put Tim Burton, a couple of anime directors, Charles Dickens, and scores of German expressionists in a locked room and forced them to collaborate on the design of this world. Fortunately, the film does have one saving grace young Judith Vittet. Not only does she turn in a masterful performance, she's the only buoy of sanity I could find in this ocean of craziness.
Basically, the film is about this strange man who steals children, hooks them up to machines, and steals their dreams because he is incapable of dreaming himself. His entourage consists of a number of annoying clones and a small army of humanoids who look like they're in the early stages of assimilation by the Borg. I don't understand why they depend on technology to see and hear, but I suspect it's just an excuse for the director to give us night-vision type shots every so often when they're out on the hunt for new little dreamers. At the same time, you also have a pair of Fagin-like Siamese twins running a racket of child thieves all over town. One of these kids, Miette (Vittet), teams up with One (Ron "The Beast" Perlman), a strongman who is desperate to save his little brother from the clutches of the dream-stealing guy. Along the way to that end, this unlikely duo encounters an underwater diver, trained fleas, and all sorts of weirdness.
The relationship between One and Miette is really the heart of the story. One (Perlman), I should mention, seems to be somewhat mentally challenged, making Miette the true grown-up in the relationship. Theirs is a bond much like an older brother to a younger sister, but I'm one of those who felt that the relationship really walked a fine line between something wholesome and something a little beyond the pale. They never crossed the line, mind you, but this part of the story may be suggestive to some viewers.
There is, fittingly enough, a dream-like character to the cinematography and story presentation and, perhaps in that sense, it's OK that the plot doesn't always make sense. A tighter story line, though, would undoubtedly have made this otherwise lush and intriguing film more successful. I'm all for suspending my disbelief, but I really need to know what I'm suspending it for. The City of Lost Children, with its eye-catching visuals and superb soundtrack, is almost the total package all it lacks is a more lucid plot.
 This is the stuff nightmares are made of. July 21, 2004
E. Belianski (Toronto, CANADA)
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
I'll have to say that this movie is one of the scariest and saddest movies that I've ever seen, although it is very unique and even enjoyable at times because of the insane amounts of creativity that is present in every single scene.One of the main problems that I had with this movie were precisely because of the creativity; the story moves quickly, and because so much of it is so new, I was often confused about many things. I would even suggest reading a partial plot summary of it before you've seen it, so you have some idea of what's going on, because otherwise it can be a confusing experience. Of course, I'm sure that if I watched the movie again I would understand much more of it in hindsight. However, I'm not sure that I would want to watch this movie again. Despite being extremely well directed and filmed, it sits heavy on the soul, and I'm pretty sure that certain scenes from it will find a way to get into my dreams and turn them into nightmares (just like a recurrent theme in the movie). It doesn't really have what one would call a happy ending, either. Another note; the version that I saw was dubbed in English, and while most of the voice acting was fairly good, I didn't think that Myet's English voice really fit her character. Well, those are my thoughts. Whatever you do, don't show this film to your kids before bedtime. ;)
 jacque le blew- this blew!!!!!!!! July 9, 2004
nikinak (usa)
0 out of 11 found this review helpful
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! June 14, 2004
Emily Bronte (Co USA)
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
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 June 14, 2004
P. Jameson (McLean, VA United States)
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
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
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