Year of Release: 2003Country of Origin: France, Belgium, Canada, UK
Director: Sylvain Chomet
Cast: Béatrice Bonifassi, Lina Boudreau, Michèle Caucheteux, Jean-Claude Donda, Mari-Lou Gauthier
Plot outline: When her grandson is kidnapped during the Tour de France, Madame Souza and her beloved pooch Bruno team up with the Belleville Sisters - an aged song-and-dance team from the days of vaudeville - to rescue him (IMDb).
The Triplets of Belleville has a gothic feel, giving the sense of a fractured fairy tale. Although there is virtually no talking, it is by no means silent. In fact, sound is a critical element of the movie, whether it's in the approach of a train, the croaking of frogs, or the barking of a dog - there's just no meaningful dialogue. Therefore, dubbing and/or subtitling does not become an issue. And the jazz-tinged music that permeates the soundtrack is a critical element. The Triplets of Belleville is a highly satirical work, albeit without the "in your face" style of South Park. It pokes fun at stereotypes of both the French (who are shown to subsist solely on a diet of frogs) and North Americans (who are depicted as overweight gluttons). Belleville is a bizarre marriage of New York and Quebec (complete with a Rubenesque Statue of Liberty), and Paris is depicted as having grown up and swallowed its suburbs. The overall story can be seen as an allegory of how Hollywood steals away the best and brightest talents of Europe and sucks them dry. Whether or not that's true (and the subject could foster and long debate), it's certainly the European viewpoint. The movie's generally unconventional approach makes it difficult to determine where it's going next, or how it's going to end. The Triplets of Belleville contains its share of comedic elements and the overall tone is light, but there's something almost mournful lurking beneath the surface. It can probably be best described as a true art-house animated motion picture - a rarity, to be sure. However, for someone with an adventurous cinematic appetite, a production that makes Miyazaki appear mainstream is surely worth a look. (JB)
My judgement: ***1/2 out of 4 stars
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