Jeunet is a filmmaker that I admire quite a bit. He's the kind of filmmaker who subscribes easily to Hitchcock's belief that you should be able to turn the sound off a film and still understand what's going on. And as a foreign filmmaker seeking an North American audience, this is a smart tactic. Like most people I first came to know Jeunet through Amelie, a film that I saw no less than nine times in the theatres when it first came out. I couldn't get enough of it, and more importantly I kept dragging people to see it, including my father who, I don't think, had ever seen a foreign film at that point. Amelie is one of the most creative and heartfelt films out there, and among my favorites. The problem with Micmacs, is that it doesn't have the heart. The set-up to the film is amazing. It really is. The way that Jeunet introduces us to our hero is strong and amazing filmmaking. Anyone who says that you can't tell a life story in a few moments needs to take a look at this. The problem is that after this sequence, the film just falls flat. It's full of eccentric characters, fun visuals, and some interesting set pieces, but I don't get emotionally involved. In fact, I kinda felt like I could leave the film, that's how indifferent I was. This film is gorgeous to look at, the cinematography and color correction are consistent with Jeunet's other works and worlds, but it's all just window dressing without the emotion that the others have. No one wanted to love this film more than I, sadly it was just 'meh'.
For students of cinema it's worth watching for the opening sequence alone, and maybe just to study for the visuals, but in terms of story telling, it's weaker than Jeunet's previous two films, which I believe are his best.
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