Amelie charms US box office

Amélie was France's top grossing movie in 2001

Hit romantic comedy Amelie has become the most successful French-language movie ever in the US.

The film, which is tipped for Oscar nominations, has taken $20.9m (£14.6m).

The 12-week total has beaten previous record holder La Cage aux Folles, which raked in $20.4m (£14.2m) in 1979.

Amelie, which is directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, who made Alien Resurrection and Delicatessen, and was France's top grossing film last year.

It has taken more than $100m (£70m) worldwide since its release.

The whimsical comedy tells the story of a Paris waitress, played by Audrey Tautou, who attempts to change people's lives for the better.

Jean-Pierre Jeunet previously directed Alien 4

The film has won a whole host of audience awards at film festivals around the world, including Edinburgh, Toronto and Chicago.

Amélie was also a big hit in the UK, taking more than £4m at the box office.

It was voted second best film of the year by viewers of the UK's most popular movie review TV show.

A poll for BBC One's Film 2001 picked Nicole Kidman's Moulin Rouge as the favourite.

It was also nominated for a Golden Globe for best foreign film, although it lost out to Bosnian movie No Man's Land.

La Cage aux Folles tells the story of two gay men living in St Tropez and was nominated for three Academy Awards in 1980, for best director, adapted screenplay and costume design.

Crouching Tiger was a big US hit

The movie was remade into hit film The Birdcage in 1996, starring Robin Williams and Nathan Lane, taking more than $124m (£86.7m) in the US alone.

Amélie is one of an increasing amount of subtitled-films making big box office in the US, which was seen previously as being a difficult market to crack.

Taiwanese movie Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon took more than $120m (£83.9m) in the US and won four Oscars.

Other big hits recently include Germany's Run Lola Run and Life is Beautiful from Italy.