City of Lost Children

City of Lost Children/La Cité Des Enfants Perdus


Language: French with English subtitles.

Brief Synopsis: An evil scientist, Krank, cannot dream. He and his evil henchmen kidnap children in an attempt to steal their dreams. One (Ron Perlman) searches for his little brother, Denree, who has been kidnapped by Krank's henchmen. Along the way he enlists the help of Miette, a young girl, and other children in the bizarre and dark City of Lost Children.

My Take: I love this film. It's very strange, and unfortunately the cinematography is a bit dated now, but it's still a beautiful and wonderful sort of fairy tale for adults. It's sort of Pan's Labyrinth 1.0, if you will.

Miette, the heroine of the film, is engaging and extremely enjoyable to watch. She is the sort of girl I would have aspired to be as a youth, the kind of girl that takes care of herself and still manages to look good doing it.

One thing I found fascinating about this film is that Ron Perlman doesn't speak a lick of French, though he was able to muddle through his lines for the film. I think it works because his character, One, is a bit on the slow side. He's a side-show strongman, regaled for his physical strength and not his wits. Miette is most certainly the brains of the operation.

Krank and his minions are creepy, and the world they inhabit is equally so. Everything has a surreal, dream-like quality to it that's almost reminiscent of Tim Burton's early works, or, perhaps more appropriately, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. It is absolutely beautiful to watch even now, with some of the special effects being a bit dated. The film is an art piece in and of itself, without even the wonderful story and tremendous acting.

I hold a special place in my heart for dark fairytales, and this film fits the bill perfectly. While it is a bit too dark and violent for young children, it is most certainly fit for teens and adults who haven't lost the child inside of them.


Entertainment value: High. The story is fantastic, it's stunning to watch, and it's hard to take your eyes off of young Miette.
Scare value: Low-Medium. A few parts with Krank and the mad scientist brain thing are less than comforting.
Realistic?: Extremely low. This is a fantasy and it makes no bones about it.
Violence/Gore: Medium. I don't remember anything in particular that was horrifically violent, but there is certainly enough violence to warrant an "R" rating.
Sex: Low. One is hit on at a bar, and that's about the extent of it.
This movie is for: Anyone who is willing to watch a foreign film. Seriously, I recommend it that highly.
Films like it: Pan's Labyrinth, Dark City

IMDB Entry on City of Lost Children
Trailer