Delicatessen, a film by Jeunet and Caro, is a wildly inventive and darkly comic foray into another world. The plot centers on a cannibalistic butcher landlord in a futuristic, depression-beset France. An ex-clown comes to the place looking for work and falls in love with the landlord's daughter. With seemingly effortless pacing and characterization, we come to know the bizarre tenants--their tics and habits, their wants and fears--just as much as we do the protagonists. This is a fully-realized apartment with fully-fleshed out inhabitants. Much like Tim Burton, Jeunet and Caro are able to create a wholly believable horror fantasy realm that is clever, fascinating, and endlessly addicting. It was an absolute joy to watch; my mouth was open in awe the entire time. The visual style was appealing, the editing lean and rapid, and the music evocative and integral. The acting was spot-on and the minimal dialogue served its purpose without bogging down the movie.
There were very few negatives. The biggest downside to the movie is trying to find a message in it. It's not really the kind of movie to carry a message though, so I don't really hold that against it. (It's just disappointing in light of Jeunet's later Amelie and A Very Long Engagement.) The drab yellow hue kind of got to you after a while, but that was kind of the point. And it made the ending that much more magical. Watch this movie; it is a treasure to behold.IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101700/