Little Amélie or the Character of Rain Review
Adapted from the acclaimed novel, Métaphysique des tubes by Amélie Nothomb, Little Amélie or the Character of Rain was released to immediate critical acclaim. Among its many accolades are nominations for a Camera d’Or at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, Best Animated Motion Picture at the 2026 Golden Globe Awards and Best Animated Feature at the 2026 Academy Awards. Little Amélie or the Character of Rain is the directorial debut of Maïlys Vallade and Liane-Cho Han, who previously worked on the art departments of The Little Prince, I Lost My Body and Long Way North. Little Amélie or the Character of Rain is portrayed as semi-autobiographical, semi-magical realism. The film flawlessly renders reality through a child’s metaphysical lens. We see the story unfold from the perspective of two-year-old Amélie, who interprets the world through her imagination in an attempt to make sense of it.
The film tells the touching (and sometimes devastating) story of Amélie, a toddler born to Belgian parents in 1960s Japan. On Amélie’s second birthday, she breaks free of the vegetative state she has been in since birth. In discovering her new abilities to walk and speak, Amélie begins to see herself as a God to those around her. Struggling to discipline the increasingly defiant toddler, her family hires a nanny named Nishio-san. It is with the arrival of Nishio-san and the friendship that develops between the two characters that Amélie starts to develop her own personality and identity.
Using fantastical setpieces, the story unfolds across a year in Amélie’s life. This includes Amélie being eaten by a giant koi fish when she falls into a pond, a garden of flowers blooming as she walks past and one of the most memorable of all, when she tries chocolate for the first time and ascends into the air, announcing that ‘a miracle transpired.’ It quickly becomes apparent that while the plot itself is based on Amélie Nothomb’s own childhood, the stylistic choices made by the filmmakers take precedence over retelling her story through facts alone.
In contrast to many recent English-language dubs, Little Amélie or the Character of Rain does not concern itself with attaching the names of major actors for the sake of it. Instead, the project has cast the best actors for the job, almost all of whom have a long list of voice acting credits across French language dubs, video games and cartoons. While the English dub is serviceable and free of any major missteps, the nuance and emotional depth of the original voice cast considerably elevate the film.
The score by Mari Fukuhara complements the film exceptionally. When Amélie is experiencing moments of wonder, the accompanying music is delicate. The music feels almost environmental, with soft piano and bells joining the sounds of insects and birds. There are also moments when the music matches the more sombre mood. In particular, when Amélie encounters death for the first time, or her first example of injustice. Amélie loves nature, is especially fascinated with fish, and becomes distraught when her father tells her that carp are the symbol for boys. Not only do boys get a symbol, but there is an entire month dedicated to them. Amélie asks when the month for girls is, becoming increasingly angry when she is told they don’t even have a symbol, let alone a commemorative month, week or day. Although International Women’s Day existed by the 1960s, it wasn’t universally embedded, especially in everyday family life. In Japan, the carp banners Amélie noticed were traditionally linked to Japanese Boys’ Day, and there was not a widely recognisedgirls’s equivalent.
As impressive as the acting, character depth, score, and plot are, it is the animation techniques that really take centre stage here. The film is animated using hand-drawn 2D animation, paired with a vivid watercolour aesthetic. The illustrative style gives the film a true storybook quality. Despite the seemingly simple plot and short runtime of 78 minutes, Little Amélie or the Character of Rain manages to successfully execute every swing it takes.
If there is one place where the film perhaps falls short, it would be in its crisp runtime. It introduces vast themes, like war, complicity, self-awareness and developmental psychology, without fully giving itself the space to explore them. At times, Little Amélie or the Character of Rain tackles massive ideas, from cultural inheritance, post-war resentment, the instability of identity, to what happens after death. Ultimately, it purposefully chooses to leave them open-ended, honestly reflecting Amélie’s own liminal state. Belgian by lineage, Japanese by experience. Too young to reconcile with her own identity, let alone begin to understand her place in the world.
Even when its ideas feel bigger than the film, Little Amélie or the Character of Rain remains a deeply affecting watch. It’s a story of curiosity, tenderness and belonging that carries an unexpectedly heavy emotional weight.
★★★★ 1/2
In UK cinemas now / Loïse Charpentier, Victoria Grosbois, Yumi Fujimori / Directors: Maïlys Vallade & Liane-Cho Han / PG / Vue Lumière
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