The Triplets of Belleville
Directed by Sylvain Chomet
The animated film The Triplets of Belleville is French director Sylvain Chomet’s first feature length picture. The result is quite impressive and has even been nominated for two Academy Awards for Best Feature Animation and Best Song. The film is an incredibly imaginative and original concept, and certainly leaves a memorable impression on the viewer.
The film tells the story of a grandmother training her cyclist grandson for the Tour de France. The grandmother is certainly the most comical figure in the entire film with her irritating yet humorous whistle blowing to keep her grandson motivated when training. Also her use of common household appliances from a simple eggbeater to a lawn mower to massage her grandson after a hard day of training certainly put a smile on my face.
Finally the day they are all looking forward to arrives: the Tour de France. The event is dampened however, by the kidnapping of the grandson and two other cyclists by the French Mafia for gambling purposes. The Grandmother and the charming but incredibly overweight family dog Bruno are forced to go on a journey to Belleville to rescue the grandson. Along the way they meet the outlandish, frog-eating, singing triplets, whom accompany Grandma and Bruno on their adventure.
I found the film to be quite slow paced at first, but as the film progressed it began to capture my interest. The Triplets of Belleville is quite short compared to most feature films these days (only 75 min) however it appeared to be drawn out and lengthier than it needed to be. This foreign animated film contains no real dialogue throughout it, which at first was frustrating, but gradually became almost unnoticeable as the viewer is captivated by the story.
Overall a very inventive and well made film, with appealing characters that are introduced throughout the journey and an exciting and original storyline to entice the viewer. The music by Benoit Charest is an absolute delight and adds to the overall ambiance of the film and, along with the splendid animation, creates a beautiful atmosphere for the audience.
***/5
Amanda Giacomin
