When the mother of Zazie comes to Paris to meet her lover, she leaves her daughter with her uncle Gabriel. However the reckless and uncontrollable niece leaves Gabriel's apartment and decides to visit Paris by subway.Some reviewers see in this film the roots of "Amelie". Others may see a very French version of "Catcher in the Rye", albeit nowhere near as dark. What we certainly have is a fast-paced slapstick screwball film of a little girl in a big city where nothing goes right. And also a sheep or a dog or something.While the film is not heavily structured in any narrative sense, it is quite fun in how it uses stream of consciousness to tell its tale. In a way, the sum is greater than its parts because the story is the experience itself.

Let me preface by saying, I have never been disappointed by Louis Malle. I guess everyone has their director(s) that just seem to produce masterpiece after masterpiece in their own eyes, and Malle does this for me. I'm having fun making my way through his filmography, and realizing how utterly versatile he is. I'm going in a random order, so I've actually seen quite a few of his works prior to watching Zazie this evening.Zazie dans le Metro is highly underrated. However, maybe this is a good thing, because I went in with low expectations and was pleasantly surprised. It took some time for me to actually appreciate the film, so I would recommend giving the movie at (the very) least twenty minutes. The colours were vibrant and plenty, the editing was bold and quirky, and the characters were unique and charming. It can be a bit chaotic at times, but that's part of the appeal. I will say I wasn't a big fan of the violent, chaotic, almost last scene -- but we're not all perfect. This has been said before, but it kind of reminded me of a young Amelie Poulain, and I wouldn't be surprised if Jean-Pierre Jeunet was inspired by the young Zazie. So if you enjoyed Amelie, you will appreciate this. And if you're looking for a fun, light-hearted, sometimes nonsensical movie that will probably make you smile ear to ear, Zazie dans le Metro is an excellent choice.

Films featuring metro are a sub genre in itself.In French cinema,2 of the most eccentric metro films are :subway and Zazie dans le métro.On the one hand "Subway" is more of an "in the metro" film,on the other hand "Zazie dans le métro" can be defined as something of "outside the metro" film.Nothing much happens in the metro itself.This is because in the film Parisian metro is just a metaphor in order to allow a young girl to explore the intricacies of the adults' behavior.The young girl whose role is nicely played by Catherine Demongeot is a veritable trouble maker.Although she is in Paris to enjoy her stay, she is more interested in pestering her uncle.Great French actor (now dead),Philippe Noiret plays the role of the hapless uncle who is absolutely at a loss as to how to reply to his niece's absurd questions.This film by Louis Malle is quite unusual as there is no other film which can match its spirit of freewheeling fun.For fact finders, the film is based on a novel by Raymond Queneau who was close to surrealist writers of his times.

This is a screen adaptation of one of those novels they said couldn't be filmed. Raymonde Queneau is a sort of James Joyce-lite whose work is studded with word-play but Jean-Paul Rappeneau and director Louis Malle make it work. A simple premise - Zazie, played by 12 year old Catherine Demongeot, is brought to Paris by her mother and dumped on uncle (Philippe Noiret) so mom can enjoy some R and R with her latest boyfriend. Zazie has only one desire, to see and ride on the Metro but the Metro is on strike - spins out of control as foul-mouthed Zazie takes off on her own and encounters a succession of pre-Monty Python/Basil Fawlty types in nothing flat. As if this bouillabaisse needed seasoning Uncle is a drag artist though straight with it. If you don't respond to zany humour you'll find it infantile - as at least one commenter did - if not chances are you'll rejoice.