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"One of the best non-Disney animated films I've seen since Anastasia." --from the review ------------- Sidebar :: -------------
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The Triplets of Belleville
Click picture to order this DVD A Techtite ReviewAs Always, a review of The Film and The DVD (extras)! The Film: I love animation. Any frequent visitor to my site knows this. Whether it's that ultra-modern menagerie of modern animation shorts on MTV in the 1990's, Liquid Television, modern CGI trickery like Finding Nemo and Ice Age, or even TV fare like Kim Possible; if it's been done with style and flair, I'm your animation fan to call up and show it to. The latest underdog animation hit is The Triplets of Belleville. If you're as much of a fan of inspired animated films as I am, you need to see it. First things first: this is an animated tale of the classic style, where visuals tell the story more than dialog. In fact, although this film was made in France, little English dubbing is required, because there is little or no speech in it at all. Consider the classic animated cartoon, Tom & Jerry; characters offered expressions and an "Oooo!" or an "Oh!" more than any long-winded speeches. This is similar; a strictly old-fashioned animated treat, where the animation is the star, not the voice actors. The Triplets of Belleville is basically like that. Who, exactly, are the Triplets of Belleville? The film gives the impression that, a la the 1990's TV series Animaniacs, these triplets were quite the rage back in the classic, "good ol' days" of black and white cartoons. One such cartoon short introduces the film, with visual gags that include a tap dancer being eaten by his own shoes, and a fat lady trying to dance to the triplets music, destroying the stage in the process. This was typical classic cartoon humor, and introduces the film nicely. Jump ahead to "today," where this old Triplets cartoon is being watched by a grandmother and her grandson. She wants to make him happy, and tries a whole lot of ideas to do so, none of them successful. Then she gets him a bike, which he adores. Jump ahead another 10 years, and he's got comically oversized thighs and calves! He's ready to be the best bike rider in all of France. Trouble is; he and other bike riders are kidnapped by French gangsters, who want to use these bike riders for underground races and gambling. It's dear old grandma's mission throughout the film, to save her boy and get him home. Enter The Triplets of Belleville. Time hasn't been kind to these triplets, but that's half the joke. They're on skid row and they eat sickening things, though they learn about Grandma's missing boy and they're up to the challenge to get him back. This culminates in a truly bizarre rescue effort that is an absolute laugh riot, leading to a car chase that's perhaps the funniest I've seen in films since the Peter Bogdanovich comedy, What's Up Doc? This was a hilarious way to end the film. If only Disney animation was still as inspired. Now, just so we're clear here: this is a visual gag powerhouse, just like the best of classic animation. However, for those who prefer "stateside" humor; this is a French film. What is a funny visual gag to them may not be funny to everyone, like one opening scene where a fat lady had accidentally sat on her husband, who is now stuck in the cleavage of her behind as she casually walks away. To me that's pretty funny...but admittedly, not for everyone. For these and other scenes, this film has been given a PG-13 rating, though for people who are used to South Park, Beavis & Butthead, Ren & Stimpy (remember them?), and yes, most episodes of The Simpsons, this film's dark sense of humor is no big deal. In fact it's pretty funny...presuming you have a fairly good sense of humor. Yet at its core, Triplets of Belleville is a very sweet, charming tale of a grandmother and her grandson, and the love a grandma has for family. Very subtly it's implied that this grandson is the only family this grandma has left, with something having happened to the grandson's parents (though it's never shown what that may have been). In fact, one must conclude that the reason the grandmother has trouble communicating with the boy early on in the film, is because he's troubled by the loss of his parents. This leads to a very short yet otherwise perfect ending to the film, which I won't reveal here, aside from to say the story is well ended. True, this is a bizarre menagerie of visual gags at times. At other times, it's a sweet tale of grandmothers' love. I liked it for both reasons. Far and away from the usual fare these days, yet staying true to traditional animated storytelling techniques, this is a real gem. In many ways, it's the best non-Disney animated story I've seen since Anastasia. That final car chase, in fact, is worth watching the whole film if you ask me. Who can't laugh at a bunch of square-shouldered mob bosses chasing a quartet of old ladies down the street, only to see the ladies protect themselves, in the most hilarious of ways...? This is a gem for us animation fans...and everyone else.
The DVD: For a foreign film, the extra features list is impressive. One disappointment though: no video clip of the song "Belleville Rendezvous" as sung at the Oscars telecast. That was a well done musical number; too bad it isn't on the DVD. Still, there is a music video version of the song, so it's not like the song isn't here. The only commentaries are of three key scenes. They are commentaries by the French director himself, and as such, are spoken in French with English subtitles. Still, you get to hear the actual director as he explains each scene. Likewise, there is a featurette "The Cartoon According to Director Sylvian Chomet," which offers his insights even more. Rounding off these extras is a behind-the-scenes featurette on the making of the film. As I said; not bad for a foreign film release on DVD.
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