The Triplets of Belleville (2003)
Written and directed by Silvain Chomet, this animated feature tells the story of a melancholic orphan named Champion. With the unrelenting support of his acutely attentive grandmother and the loyalty of an exceptionally fat dog named Bruno, he grows to be a skilled cyclist. The story takes a suspenseful turn when Champion is kidnapped by the French Mafia and made to repeat the Tour de France endlessly while spectators place bets. However, through a combination of passion and incredible will, and with the help of an aged swinging trio, the gangsters will get a run for their money.
There is very little spoken dialogue in the film. Chomet indicates that this leaves room for interpretation and imbues the animation with its own dynamism, whereas words tend to tie down and congeal. In an interview with Animation World Magazine Chomet explains that “when you’ve worked all day on an animation and that moment when you see the drawings move, that’s a really magic moment, and there is no sound to it.”
The sense of movement that characterizes the whole production is enhanced by an expressive music score arranged by Benoît Charest, and subtle yet poetic color progressions that change with each setting. The director has chosen sepia tones to represent childhood, Paris is showered in blues and grays, the Tour de France scenes are bathed in warm oranges and yellows, and Belleville reflects hints of green. Chomet admits he enjoys pushing the boundaries of what animation can do, therefore, CGI and Disney connoisseurs, beware! The director loves the look of hand-drawn animation and is not partial to uniformity and tidy packaging.
And for those looking for a little something extra, the film doesn’t quite end where an old Champion reminisces…“Is that it, then? Is it over, do you think? What have you got to say to Grandma?” He answers his childhood memory out loud: “I think that's probably it. It's over, Grandma.”
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Grading
- Story A-
- Acting NA
- Visuals A
- Originality/Innovation A-
- Enjoyability A
- Overall A-
- DVD Extras B+
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