This French, Canadian and Belgium animated feature is the most original animated film I've seen since TOY STORY. Paced by catchy music, this genre-bending film has a beautiful hand drawn aesthetic, painting a lush surreal world. Like Bill Plympton's brilliant I MARRIED A STRANGE PERSON, this film has an anything-goes approach that is witty and silly and altogether fun.
Madame Souza is raising her grandson after his parents' death. He's sad and his grandmother does everything she can to cheer him up including buying him a dog named Bruno. In the end, she discovers that he loves bicycles and ends up training him into a world-class cyclist. Then during the Tour de France, the Mafia kidnaps her grandson to use in a shady gambling ring. Madame Souza, with trusty Bruno by her side, heads out across the Atlantic to the city of Belleville (i.e. New York City) to rescue her grandson. There she teams up with '30s singing sensation the Triplets of Belleville in her attempt to out smart the gangsters.
The film is filled with wonderful gags. Take notice to what happens to their house when the railroad is built. The film also takes shots at cultural clichés of Americans and the French. The Statue of Liberty is big and fat and holding a hamburger. The French Triplets eat frogs in various unusual styles. With great invention, the Triplets use various household items (excluding the kitchen sink) in a wonderful musical jam session. The wonderful character design makes the overall production just the more engaging and humorous. I love how the grandson transforms from a morose pudgy child into a lean, giant thighed cyclist. The film is nearly a perfect example of the amazingly zany anarchy that only animation can capture.
The final chase scene, which is a bit slow and a bit too long, is the only negative thing I can say about the film. However, I loved the way the chase ends, which was worth sticking through it. The film's dialogue is minimal so it almost works as a silent flick with a great soundtrack. Music and sound effects play a huge part in the picture's winning charm. Along with its Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature, director Sylvain Chomet and Benoit Charest were nominated for Best Original Song for the toe-tapping title tune. When so many live-action films slavishly adhere to conventions in both story and style, TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLE is like a refreshing splash of cold water to the face of a sleeping industry. What a great film – one of the best of 2003.
Buy The Triplets of Belleville Now!
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
