Jean Pierre Jeunet

Jean Pierre Jeunet is a weird and wonderful self-taught French director, whose creations include Amelie and a much earlier (1989) work called (roughly translated) "Things I Like Things I Don't Like". It's quite an odd little film, but Jeunet's individual style really shines through. His work is very energetic and quirky, and he always works with unusual looking actors. Jeunet mixes the tempo a lot, always keeping the viewer visually stimulated. I love that in Amelie, a character is always introduced by the things they love and hate, and it's clear that this earlier film was the foundation that led to these great quirks in his work.