Little Amélie or the Character of Rain is spellbinding in its detailed animation, but just as disappointing in its run-of-the-mill story.
★★★☆☆
From its opening to its closing, Little Amélie or the Character of Rain is a visually astonishing animation, with numerous spine-tingling and eye-widening moments of wonder. It is a kaleidoscopic journey of dynamic colours and enchanting scenarios, with co-directors Liane-Cho Han Jin Kuang and Mailys Vallade assisted by a plethora of obvious talent in their art and animation departments. Yet for all its visual astonishment, Little Amélie doesn’t ever advance into being anything other than a middling coming-of-age story. There are the classic moments of growing up—from experiencing death for the first time to visiting memorable places—that are injected with a magical quality by Kuang and Vallade, but everything feels superficial and shallow in construction.
At the start of Little Amélie, the titular child (Loïse Charpentier and Emmylou Homs) is born to a Belgian family living in Japan. She is born in a vegetative state, with the animation working wonders to show her early years spent stationary as the world and her family (her parents and two siblings) evolve around her. At this time, Amélie believes she is a god, just as she does in the book upon which the film is based, The Character of Rain by Amélie Nothomb.
Only on her second birthday does Amélie start to move around, and even later on, begin to talk. Little Amélie is alluring in its early stages, promising a fantastical, moving journey to go with its beautiful animation. There are even some interesting parts about the bilingual and multicultural world that Amélie is experiencing as well as hints of the Second World War rumbling in the background. Quickly, however, the film settles into a rhythm that is so predictable it veers into being unimaginative, despite its magical trappings.
Amélie develops a notable bond with her nanny, Nishio (Victoria Grosbois), who shows her new sides of the world. Their relationship is not only believable, but hugely moving. It is beautiful seeing Amélie move further out of her shell thanks to Nishio’s gentle urging and loving demeanour. In contrast, Amélie’s relationship with the rest of her family is strained. The distance she feels emotionally with her parents and siblings is important for the story but it never really evolves, despite Amélie’s own personal journey.
Comparisons between Little Amélie and Petite Maman (2021) are apparent for a number of reasons: both films portray young children dealing with the death of a loved one and how it affects their parents; they are coming-of-age stories in realistic settings infused with fantasy; both conclude within 80 minutes. Petite Maman is an exquisite example of a film that is short in runtime, but emotionally impactful in resonance. Céline Sciamma’s film runs 6 minutes shorter than Little Amélie but does so much more with its screen time, every shot having depth and meaning and each work propelling the story forward. The same can’t be said for Little Amélie. The issue with Kuang and Vallade’s film isn’t the short length, but what they do with that time. There is plenty to adore in Little Amélie, and yet the impressive elements do not combine into anything special. Marvellous style can’t propel the meek story to the same enchanting heights as films like Petite Maman.
The Verdict
Underdeveloped themes and a lacking storyline notably stick out amidst the glorious and thoughtful animation of Little Amélie or the Character of Rain. Some magical moments aside, this is standard fare.
Words by William Stottor
Little Amélie is in UK cinemas from 6th February 2026.
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