City of Lost Children (1995)

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.


Plot Summary

In this imaginative fantasy from the creators of "Delicatessen," a mad scientist named Krank kidnaps children so he can steal their dreams. However, Krank runs into trouble carrying out his evil schemes after his Cyclops henchmen capture Denree, a bright little boy whose adopted brother works as a circus strongman.|The brother, One, desperately tries to find Denree, and receives help from Miette, a nine-year-old girl who's the leader of a gang of orphans. Together, One and Miette take part in a series of fantastic adventures.