Search - The Triplets of Belleville on DVD

Daniel A. (Daniel) from EUGENE, OR
Reviewed on 2/8/2010...

Rather droll in an amazingly humorous way. Odd in almost every way imaginable.

1 of 3 member(s) found this review helpful.

Marianna S. (Angeloudi) from HOLIDAY, FL
Reviewed on 4/21/2009...

To say that this movie is unexpected and bizarre is an understatement. This animated feature, created by French cinéaste Sylvain Chomet, begins in the late 1930's in France, whereMadame Souza tries to coax her grandson, Champion, out of his chronic depression. She tries a piano, a puppy, and finally a bicycle, which does the trick. Fast forward to Champion training for the Tour de France, the grueling annual French cycling race. Champion gets kidnapped b the French mafia, and Mme Souza sets out to rescue him. There is almost no dialogue in this film, just music, sound effects, noises, yet somehow the film works! The animation is detailed, exaggerated, and memorable, as is the music. My students loved it!

4 of 5 member(s) found this review helpful.

The French response to Japanese animation

noah kao | los angeles, CA USA | 02/25/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

""Triplets of Beleville" is absolutely a treasure from the French director Sylvain Chomet. The details, story, humor, character development, the relationship between the characters, and the pure delight rivals that of the great Japanese master Hayao Miyazaki's works. It is absolutely a pleasure watching this almost speechless story unfold all the way to the final scene. Most of the dialogue, if any, is in French, but no subtitles. And that is intentional: you don't need it. Now that takes some good story-telling to achieve. And this film achieves in leaps and bounds. Chomet clearly has a different philosophy than the American animations going into his art. Don't get me wrong, I don't mean that Disney or Pixar works are not good, "Triplets" is just one of the most outstanding and different in story telling and the use of the medium that I have ever seen for a long time in an animated work. They say the devil is in the details. Well, then this is what makes this movie. I almost drowned in the images on the screen. The heart-felt story and just the way the story was eccentrically told stayed with me for a long long time after i left the theatre. Not since a Studio Ghibli (Miyazaki-Takahata) masterpiece have made me feel this way. Just for the details alone I could watch this over and over again. Therefore I can't wait to buy the DVD so I can make this story mine. I recommend this to all Miyazaki fans to check it out. You won't be disappointed. Enjoy. You will."

Words Can't Describe

hammershu | TX USA | 02/18/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This artistic animation film is nothing short of incredible. This movie literally had me speechless. A movie finally worthy to challenge the wonderful Finding Nemo in the Oscar race for Best Animated Feature.The French Film is directed by the artistic Slyvain Chomet. The plot rests around a grandmother, Madame Souza, her weary-eyed grandson Champion and a faithful chubby dog. As a young boy, Champion was always depressed and sad with his life. His grandmother could see this and would try everything to cheer him up. After failed attempts of a toy train, playing the piano, and a cute cuddly dog; she realizes he truely yearns for a bicycle. The movie flashes forward to him as an adult. He is training for the Tour de France with his ruthless grandmother coaching at his every side. During the actual race, he is kidnapped by the French Mafia, along with other cycleists where they are taken to Belleville and used for underground gambling. His grandmother seeks out on a journey to retrieve him and on the way gets help with the once famous triplet nightsingers.Calling this movie bizzare would be just an understatement. To start things off, this movie has close to no dialogue what so ever. The entire movie consists of sound effects and oddball music. Typically a movie with a lack of plot and almost no dialogue seems destined to be a failure. But this is where the amazing animation comes in. The drawings are incredibly breath-taking. If it wasn't for the animation, I would have left my seat a long time ago. Mr. Chomet's love for drawing is evidently seen through his work. This is his first full length movie.Before this movie, Mr. Chomet was busy drawing comics. This is where he gets most of his subtle humor. For example, his drawings are so strange, that he gives every character a unique base look. Champion has a narrow face, small waist, and over exagerrated muscular legs much like a cycleist. It's in these terms, he can take something normal and turn it into an exagerrated comedic moment. His opinion on Americans is shown and deeply funny. For example, the mysterious place Belleville is opened with the statue of liberty, only the statue is of a fat woman holding a hamburger instead of a torch. Throughout the city, all the characters walking are overly obeast. The famous sign "Hollywood" reads "Hollyfood". It's this kind of dry humor that is very witty and appealing to the audience.I'm most impressed in that this movie keeps your eyes constantly watching even through there is a lack in dialogue. A couple of lines is all it has and nothing more. The rest are just sound effects and quirky music played by the triplets and the grandmother. They use all kinds of instruments, from a refrigerator to a bicycle wheel. The music is odd yet appealing. I found myself constantly tapping my foot in rhythm with the crazy style. But in this movie, dialogue really isn't even needed. Mr. Chomen's drawings give enough character development in itself. Champion, throughout his older self, still has the same sad eyes as he did when he was a young boy. The grandmother is ruthless in that she always carries her whistle around blowing it to help her son in cycleing. The dog is the best out of all the characters because the audience gets a chance to see the images of the psychological dreams the dog has and why he barks the way he does at trains. If anyone is a lover of dogs, the scenes involving the dog are enough to win over any fan.These qualities truely set this movie out to be a masterpiece. Though lack of dialogue and simple plot, the animation, music, and quirky witty humor alone provide enough entertainment to turn this film into extraordinary. I am thankful it's nominated for Best Animated Feature. Although I want it to win and definitely think it deserves it over Finding Nemo, I fear the advantage of an earlier presence in Finding Nemo will win voter's hearts. Even if it doesn't win, it is definitely a film Mr. Chomet should take pride in. I recommend this film to everyone. Some will love its humor. Others will think it's just plain weird. But all will admire it's fantastic animation and its totally original idea."

A Triple Treat!!!

V. Marshall | North Fork, CA USA | 08/13/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The French have done it again.....this time the magnificence comes in the form of a cartoon with great music.

Sylvain Chomet directs this wonderful adult animation film and manages to capture all of the qualities of the French in his cartoon characters. Without many words the characters perform brilliantly, not an ounce of misunderstanding to be found! The story begins in a small cottage with a young boy, his grandmother and a puppy. The grandmother finds a hobby for the boy and he soon grows up to be a cyclist on his way to the Tour de France. The grandmother is short, stout and capable of anything. She trains her grandson by riding behind him on a tricycle blowing a whistle in time. The puppy grows into a very large dog that waddles to the window every 15 minutes to bark at trains that pass. The boy becomes an obsessed cyclist programmed to do only one thing, peddle! The individual characteristics are very French and very funny.

More characters exist as the story unfolds and we meet square suited mafia men, stereotypical townspeople and most importantly the "Triplets of Belleville," a trio of old ladies who make strange noises and create music from everyday appliances while eating everything frog! The entire gaggle of characters ends up in a chase through the streets of the fictional town of Belleville with amazing scenic effects for a cartoon.

This animated film is nothing like I have ever seen. It does not have the big-eyed innocence of Disney, or the animated ingenuity of Pixar but it has all of the most perfect qualities of the French, style, sophistication and depth. The characters are fantastic and highly likable and the music that surrounds the film more than makes up for the lack of spoken words. Simply fantastic!!
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