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The Triplets of Belleville

The Triplets of Belleville is an animated movie filled with beautiful visuals, moments of classic physical comedy, and relatable characters. It’s very different from regular animated films from America, due to the very French execution. The combination of sounds and visuals creates an original movie with a lot of whimsy.

The basic premise of the movie is that a grandmother is trying to save her grandson from the French Mafia. Along the way, she gets some help from the Triplets of Belleville, an old '40s singing group that now does performance art. The movie plays around with a lot of French stereotypes, as well as a few American ones. The stereotypes that the French love wine and the Tour de France are funny and both concepts fit well with the theme of the movie. The visuals are very different from any Disney film and are rich in color. It has an almost gritty feel to it.

There is a small comparison that can happen with the film, WALL-E. There aren’t a lot of spoken moments in either. Most of the dialogue, if any, is in French, but there are no subtitles. And that is intentional: You don't need it. The visual cues and the music used are enough for anyone to understand.

The only downfall to the movie is that it feels a little rushed at points. The characterizations of the triplets aren’t fleshed out as much as they could be since they are introduced in the beginning, but really only arrive in the middle. The end feels a little abrupt as well. An extra ten minutes would have created more closure.

The DVD bonuses are a little thin, but there are some great mini-documentaries about the production of the movie. There are some good images of sketches, 3D work, and how the characters are shaped. One great fact that is mentioned is that the song, "Belleville Rendez-vous,” wasn’t originally made for the movie, but when Sylvain Chomet heard the song, he thought it fit the movie perfectly.

The Triplets of Belleville is a great break from the traditional animations that are normally seen in the United States. There is a great difference from this movie with western/Disney and eastern/Anime styles. Although the movie may be a little too short, the movie stands out with its coloring and music.

Written by: Michael Pascua

Reviewers Rating: 9
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