Little Amelie
or the Character of Rain

LITTLE AMÉLIE OR THE CHARACTER OF RAIN 💧 

LITTLE AMÉLIE OR THE CHARACTER OF RAIN, is a coming-of-life story about a young Belgian girl born in Japan who is coming to terms with her own existence while also trying to make sense of the constantly evolving world around her.

From the frustration of not being able to communicate out of the womb to facing grief at a young age while simultaneously being misunderstood by those closest to her. Amélie is stuck navigating a world that she has no true power in.

This was one of the most conceptually fascinating films I’ve seen this year. Most of the time we see life depicted in stories about coming-of-age, through reflection, and nostalgia, but never have I ever seen a film try to tackle the complexity of what our perception of the world is like in those moments after we gain consciousness. It’s easy to tell a story about a new parent or someone who is about to become a sibling and their newfound relationships with a newborn; it’s wildly ambitious to flip that script and tell that same story from the perspective of the infant/toddler who is not only being introduced to people but also having to make sense of a new canvas of existence—untouched, pure, and full of possibility.

LITTLE AMÉLIE OR THE CHARACTER OF RAIN isn’t just an incredible film; it’s an audacious, inspiring attempt at something beyond the norm.

As someone who has always been fascinated by life & death, I connected to this movie in ways I was not expecting.

I’ve always had this idea in my mind that once we pass away, the light fades from our sight, we lose our breath, and immediately respawn with a shining light piercing our eyes, and then out we come from the womb into the hospital room WITH recollection of our past but no ability to convey it to the people around us. As time passes we are domesticated by the “people” who birth us, and in that process we begin to focus more on obeying commands and less on remembering the past. And when we’re finally able to speak, the idea of growing out of our infancy and living in our new body has far exceeded our need to care for our past life—so much so that we forget it entirely.

A little out there, I know, but in ways the earliest parts of this film brought a small piece of that wandering thought to life in a way that allowed me to immediately lose myself in the story of Amélie.

The ideas surrounding one’s existence and broadening of horizons through exploration and discovery are what I connected to the most, but the emotional elements of the film were just as moving and powerful.

LITTLE AMÉLIE OR THE CHARACTER OF RAIN, brings to life the perspective of the voiceless by breaking down the complex reality of infants/toddlers who are stuck trying to make sense of a world that’s trying to make sense of them—which will engage both adults and children alike. 

Enjoy!

9.2/10 🍿 🎥

Runtime: 1hr18mins

Where:  In Theatres November 7th

Little Amelie or the Character of Rain Review (2025) The Richmond Reviewer - November 5th, 2025.

Animation #MovieReview #Movie #Cinema #TIFF #Film #French