User reviews

Yesterday evening a friend introduced me to this extraordinary piece of animation. After watching it I was left with the feeling that I'd just watched a film which communicated something to me, but I wasn't quite sure what that might be. For hours afterward I thought to myself, "Why did that film appeal to me so?" The story is simple and straightforward. The details are charming and nuanced. The rendering is a true tour-de-force. The one thing that caught my eye was the sheen of the water as Mme. Souza and Bruno are crossing the ocean in pursuit of her grandson. I can hardly believe that was animation. Then I noticed the play of the light on the water reflected against the hulls of the boats at dock in the harbor. My friend pointed out the skill of the graphic designers in maintaining the proper camera angles of the projected live film footage on the screen during the chase sequence.

The music is absolutely captivating. Everything from the opening dance-hall sequence to the extraordinary use of the Kyrie from Mozart's Mass in C Minor during the storm at sea and the entrance into the harbor of Belleville. Notice how the music builds in richness as the camera descends from the few spires at the beginning of the sequence to the dense mass at street level.

Remembering the details and how they relate to each other and the film as a whole keeps you thinking about the significance of the film's contents. For instance, I only now remember that the opening sequence was drawn in the archaic, fluid style of early cartoon animation (Steamboat Willy, Olive Oyl and Popeye) because, of course, it was depicting events which predated the time of the film proper. The style served a purpose, beyond being an end in itself.

For a long time after watching the film I remained puzzled about its appeal to me. I've seen a large number of animated feature films, but none have left me quite as reflective as did this one. I was less concerned with the meaning of the details. It is a cartoon, after all.

I continued to wonder about Madame Souza's expression. About how the creator was able to invest such meaning in those simple dark circles set behind thick lenses and the line of her mouth, which modulated between forthright resolve and a gentle satisfaction. Then it occurred to me. Beyond the larger outline of the story and the details in which it is couched, it tells us of the power of one person's love and concern for another. I suppose we all wish we could receive such unconditional love, and it makes us feel warm to think that such a thing could actually be. Even if only in a cartoon.

The film either will or will not appeal to you, depending on what it is you're looking for in an animated feature film. I watched it without expectations, and was left wondering, "Why does it resonate with me?" And you'll want to see it again.

Madame Souza raises her grandson Champion and tries to make him happier with a baby dog, Bruno. However, the boy remains sad, and the grandmother gives a tricycle for him. The boy gets excited with the gift, and trained by Madame Souza along the years, he finally competes the Tour de France. When Champion is kidnapped by two MIBs from the French mafia, Madame Souza and Bruno travel to Belleville to rescue him, with the support of the elder singers, the Belleville Sisters.

What a wonderful surprise "Les Triplettes de Belleville" is! An original, impressive and very bizarre dark story, that recalls the style of Tim Burton, supported by an amazing music score. The scene on the sea, while playing Mozart's Mass in C Minor, is fantastic and maybe my favorite. The city of Belleville, visibly inspired in New York, with a fat Statue of Liberty, is impressive. The intentional exxageration in the proportions of the ships and sky-scrapers is amazing and stylish. The grotesque and ugly characters are very unusual for heroes and even villains, and this movie is basically the opposite of the animations of Pixar and Disney. Madame Souza has a shorter leg; Champion has deformed legs and long nose; Bruno is horribly fat; the MIBs are plane; their boss is very short; the old singers look like witches; in common, all of them are very ugly. I really recommend this movie for viewers that aim to see a fresh idea of animation, with dark comedy and weird adventure. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "As Bicicletas de Belleville" ("The Bicycles of Belleville")

From the moment I pressed play on the DVD remote, the whole family was transfixed by this wonderful movie. It was so good, that we immediately watched it again. So what was so good about it? Well, firstly Bruno has to be the best dog (either animated or live) in any movie. The subtle observation of its daily routines are among my favourite scenes. Second, the humour is refreshingly dark and constantly surprising (it's not too far removed from Gary Larson's The Far Side). The scene showing the expansion of Paris to convey the passing of time had us in hysterics. Thirdly, it's just so imaginative. Everything is exaggerated beyond belief. If you like your animation to have a touch of realism, then stay away. In Belleville, things are grotesquely exaggerated. I've noticed a few negative comments about this film, which raises the question of who is going to like it and who isn't. I guess the fairest comment I can make is to say that this probably isn't mainstream stuff. If your favourite movies are summer blockbusters, then maybe this isn't for you. If, on the other hand, you like discovering quiet gems from time to time, stumbling across something a little different on a cable channel, then this could be just what you're looking for.

What a wonderful gem of work this is, and I am glad that it was done RECENTLY.

In a time when Pixar is setting the standard for "animation", here comes a film that makes you remember why you liked animation in the first place. This is a wonderful technique film, a study of art film, an abstract film, a joy to watch. The story might be a bit complicated for most to keep up but the beauty of it is - it's complexity. The grandmother was wonderful as well as the dog and the cyclist -- but what blew me away was the overdrawn charatures of the characters.

And there will be no more "frogs" for me, ladies! :)

A deserved USA Oscar nomination. In a Pixar world, bring on more like these to keep the balance too!

Within the first five minutes of The Triplets of Belleville I knew I was about to see either one of the worst films of the year, or one of the best- writer/director Sylvain Chomet and art director/designer Evgnei Tomov have created a (animated) world in which they seem to be in love with every frame, every image, every musical note, and at first there is that sense that this is an off-putting style. But soon I realized that what Chomet and Tomov were doing was much like what Luis Bunuel and Salvador Dali did with their classic Un Chien Andalou. The story is not incomprehensible because it's simple enough so that a child could follow along, and the strategy thus is to tell it with an artistic, intense, mad-cap, whatever you can think to call it, personalized view on the characters and the environments they get themselves into. That the film is from France adds a charm once the elements get skewed (the animators tackle the Tour de France, big cities, ocean-liners, singers, frogs, and the gangster underworld), and that it doesn't have- and doesn't need- subtitles to tell the story is another remarkable feat.

As the film reached into the last act, I then realized two things- 1) this is one of those films, like Un Chien Andalou and The Wall (the great Gerald Scarfe's influence was one that I guessed, though there's probably more I didn't catch on), that won't appeal to everyone. Those expecting a cute French animated film can expect that, however a movie-goer needs to have an open mind to the material, and that the term "cute" would be taken for granted while being immersed in this film. 2) since the film is made like an original, without much compromise to where the story has to be headed or which characters do and say what, at the least The Triplets of Belleville works superbly to create an overwhelming state of mind for the viewer. Personally, I get exhilarated watching a movie where I don't even WANT to expect where the story is headed. Throughout most of the 80 minutes I felt an un-canny faith in the filmmakers that their oddball, free-wheeling visions wouldn't go up in smoke. And by the end I left wanting more for some reason or another. Like I said, some might be turned sour by the execution of the material, yet for others the fantasy-like nature of The Triplets of Belleville should make for an interesting night-out. For one thing, you won't get those frogs out of your mind very easily. A+

I found "The Triplets of Belleville" to be one of the most charming movies I've had the pleasure of seeing the last couple of years. This delightful movie follows the adventures of Madame Souza, her son, Champion, and their dog, Bruno.

Madame Souza recognizes that something is missing from Champion's life. His parents are, clearly, gone. All he has left from them is a picture of the pair of them on a bicycle. As she silently pieces together what Champion needs to be happy, she and he discover a new life as participants in the Tour de France - he as a competitor and her as his coach and trainer.

They live a life of quiet, simple joys until he is kidnapped, an event that leads to a trip to Belleville for all three. This fictional city will prove oddly familiar to most viewers. Here, Madame Souza is befriended by the titular characters - I will leave the "book report" style commenting here.

There are so many delights in this picture, but I am going to focus on my favorite character, Bruno the dog. I don't think I have ever seen a movie capture a real dog as well as this one does. We see him from a puppy, learn the event that leads him to hate trains, feel anxious for him when he paws at his bowl while the silly humans finish their own dinners, and fear for him when his canine instincts lead him to places of danger.

Throughout this all, Bruno is gloriously canine. He dreams of the things that are important to him, he sees the world as smells and images. He is awesome. Or, perhaps, she is awesome. Bruno is a male name, but many have suggested he is a she.

Anyhow, the other characters are great fun as well, but my heart belongs to this big fat dog. Even if I hadn't loved the rest of the movie (I did), I would recomend it for Bruno alone.

When I saw "The Triplettes of Bellville" on display at my video store I had never heard anything about it, so I had no idea what to expect. I chose it because to me, it looked bizarre- (which I love) and when I saw it was French it made me grab it right away. There was a show I used to watch called "OH CANADA" that had French / Canadian cartoons which were the most bizarre and enjoyable cartoons I had ever seen. They only showed it late at night because they weren't your typical cartoons, and more for adults than children. I was hoping Triplettes of Bellville would be something like that, and I was more than pleasantly surprised when I watched it. The first 5 minutes had me rolling with laughter and telling my partner "SEE! Isn't this great?!!" (He wasn't too sure of why I chose a cartoon for us to watch, but I kept telling him it would be good.) We both loved it, and commented how freaky and weird it was. It had many layers to it, and is one of those movies that I am sure the more you watch it, the more things you will see that you missed. I really loved the hidden meanings and psychological depth it had. For example, the part where we get to see a dog's dream...we were like "Woah- I bet that IS what dogs dream about!!!" I am determined to buy this movie, which I very rarely buy movies because they seem to lose their charm after you own them. I have already planned for my 3 sisters and I to get together just to watch this movie. I liked it so much that I am writing a review! (something I have never done!) I was a little upset when I heard that people were criticizing it, but then again, I have to expect that. It isn't the typical movie you would see in the theaters at any given time- but then again, that is EXACTLY why I loved it!!! So, if you love movies that are bizarre, different, and can take on many meanings, Triplettes of Bellville is the one to watch! I have been telling everyone I know to go see it!

Loved this movie for years and just saw a 1990 Canadian Indie - "Strangers in Good Company" - that obviously inspired some of the title characters. The older film portrays eight woman who get stranded in the Canadian outback for several days. Several of them dance... and catch frogs! And at least two of them look just like the triplets. Nice. Recall that Triplets includes a Montreal/New York blended city on this side of the pond. Both films also celebrate the spirit of older women. I believe Triplets was dedicated to the grandmothers like the one who is a hero in the movie. And of course the Triplets themselves are faded stars from perhaps the 1930s.

Madame Souza and her grandson used to watch the singing Triplets of Belleville on TV. She raises her orphaned grandson by herself and encourages him to be a great cyclist. He enters the Tour de France. He and others are kidnapped and shipped to a criminal boss who runs his own tour with stationary bikes. Souza and their overweight dog Bruno follow the ship to Belleville where they are befriended by the eccentric frog-eating Triplets of Belleville. While performing with the Triplets at a nightclub, Bruno sniffs out his owner's scent on the mob boss.

I love the unique ugly style that is done so beautifully. It's wonderfully weird and surreal. I don't think the story moves fast enough. There is a lack of urgency at times. There is more than one dream sequence for the dog. This is an unique vision but the slower scenes get a bit repetitive. The lack of dialog is another part of that uniqueness.

The Triplets of Belleville(or Belleville Rendez-vous as it is called in the UK) is something that is unique and delightful. It is ambitious most certainly, and the plot does have the occasional longueur, but I couldn't have be spellbound by the beautiful, unique visual animation style and the sensual title song "Belleville Rendez-vous". Asides from the animation and the music, it has some effortless slapstick(more visual than in the dialogue) and it is quirky and nostalgic, and it is this that gives the film its charm almost on its own. And of course I liked the characters, the grandson who is kidnapped from the Tour De France, the sinister gangsters, the club-footed but kindly grandmother and the pudgy but somewhat adorable dog. The set pieces involved here are splendid, highlights being the newsreel opening, the ocean crossing, the dinner with the Belleville triplets and the climatic chase. Overall, unique and delightful, definitely recommended. 9/10 Bethany Cox

I was left with a feeling of ambivalence after watching this movie. It was an interesting expirience, but not always a pleasant one, because as pleasing as the hand-drawn animation can be, it's also capable of scaring the hell out you frequently with some odd close-ups on the already unsettling character designs.

All my praise goes to the unique animation style even it is scary at times, because the plot is both slow and seems to break off here and there. The downplay of dialogue is both a blessing and a curse, because some of the characters don't have the charisma to stand out as interesting or entertaining. Aside from that little thing about the characters, I found the titular triplets amusing and the dog was cute and funny.

If you're into the weirder animated movies, this is probably an expirience for you, but it surely is not for everyone.

First off, let me just say that I am extremely open minded when it comes to film, and I can find enjoyment in just about anything. I typically despise Hollywood derivative nonsense. Also, I can appreciate French movies, such as Amelie, Delicatessen, and City of Lost Children.

This movie starts out promisingly enough. You know you're in for something unique and different, and the animation style is very nice to look at.

But after the first 10 minutes or so, the movie has already run the course. The once beautiful animation just gets annoying, as you realize that the "story" is meaningless. Scenes that were once cute an inventive just repeat themselves over and over and make you hate them. The arrogant French smugness of it all becomes overbearing, and the useless characters turn into a huge bore.

My anger toward this movie was only exacerbated by imagining the praise it received. For anyone who says that Hollywood or Disney should learn from this movie, I respectfully disagree. I can't imagine a stream of movies as pointless and un-funny as this one.

Don't believe the hype, folks. If you are easily entertained by shiny objects, then maybe this is for you. Otherwise, if you like movies with interesting characters and story lines, then stand clear of this overrated French stinker.

'The Triplets of Belleville' is a strange, largely wordless animated feature by French filmmaker Sylvain Chomet. It tells the story of a sad and lonely young boy whose sweet and doting grandmother buys him a bicycle in the hopes that it will bring a sense of purpose to his life. It does, for as the years pass, the lad grows to become a competitive cyclist, thanks in large part to the tender encouragement and ministrations of this adoring, and, one must say, adorable woman. While he's taking part in the Tour de France, some Mafia henchmen kidnap the boy so they can use him for a bizarre and deadly gambling scheme. The majority of the film recounts the attempts by his intrepid grandmother and his unflaggingly loyal dog to track the youngster down and rescue him. Aiding them in this endeavor are the Triplets of Belleville, a trio of aging nightclub singers with some bizarrely French eating habits whom they encounter on their way.

Because the film employs almost no dialogue or voice-over narration, it is left mainly to the visuals to convey the storyline. For this purpose, Chomet relies almost exclusively on facial expressions and body language to spell out the major plot points. The film's unique look arises from its gross distortion of shape, line and form, particularly in regards to the human figures. The thin characters are spindly and angular almost to grotesqueness, while those who are overweight run to a corpulence of awe-inspiring proportions. And the Mafia figures bring new meaning to the term 'broad-shouldered.' But it isn't just the humans. The thin, needle-like skyscrapers rise to impossible heights, while an ocean liner's hull is stretched vertically to such an extent that we expect the ship to capsize from its preposterously un-seaworthy design at any moment.

The film is filled with moments of great imagination, as when it visualizes the black-and-white dreams of an aging dog, or when it turns the tables and shows us three cartoon characters laughing it up while watching some 'live action' characters on TV indulging in inane slapstick madness.

Like all fine animated films, 'The Triplets of Belleville' creates its own unique world, filled with images and sights we've never quite seen before. By eliminating speech as a means of storytelling, the filmmaker heightens the surrealistic tone of what is being shown on screen.

'The Triplets of Bellville' isn't a great film, but its uniqueness of vision and form makes it one well worth watching.

If you love the style of the old Chuck Jones cartoons, or the Pink Panther, you'll definitely love this movie. If not, you may love it all the same. The animated characters are entertainingly – and artistically – grotesque, with understated emotions. They say it all with a barely noticeable shift of the eye or by fixing their glasses, or just by staring ahead. And yet understatement is the characters' chief strength, and for once we have an animated film that doesn't insult the viewer's intelligence. Call it retro if you like, but it is very effective.

Machines and houses can be just as grotesque as people in this movie: ships that look like they should rightly sink into the water like a knife, houses arched back subserviently under pressure from elevated railways, and a fat Statue of Liberty (just a hint as to how Americans are treated in this movie – but it is done without any malice). Nothing makes sense when viewed individually, and yet together it meshes into a true masterpiece of form and content.

The storyline is very simple: a French bicycle racer is being kidnapped by the French Mafia to be used for illegal gambling, leaving his grandmother to try and rescue him. Along the way she teams up with the aging Triplets of Belleville, who, no longer at the heights of their power, still have a trick or two up their sleeve.

But if all you're after in a movie is a strong story, you might be disappointed. The accent here is on superb animation and soundtrack, which creates a feast for the eye and ear (speaking of ears, it will be a while before you'd be able to get that tune out of your head). This makes the movie watchable more than once – you will only enjoy it more on subsequent viewings.

Bruno the dog also deserves a special mention: though grotesquely fat, it is probably the most true-to-life and well-developed depiction of a dog in any movie, filmed or animated. No cutesy stuff here, just real "dogginess." His dreams are especially interesting and add a surrealistic dimension to an already part-surrealistic production.

This movie should be a household name. Pity we're not more open to foreign films: most of us keep missing out on masterpieces like this.

This feature animation puts Disney to shame for all its brain-dead, middle-of-the-road, theme park-oriented, schmaltzy, claptrap nonsense that's popular with the masses in this world. Beyond the fact that this animation is all of stunning, beautiful, thought-provoking, funny, artistic and frightening enough to make anyone with talent doubt their worth, "Les Triplettes de Belleville" happily refuses to assault its audience with mind-numbing, cloying, useless, overrated, saccharin, and trashy music and songs by the likes of Elton John and Andrew Lloyd Weber. (How's that for hyphenating) It achieves as much as, if not more than, what Jacques Tati could do with real actors. It should make anyone who ever thought a stuffed animal or "Happy Birthday" balloons was tasteful, crawl into a corner where they belong.

I am pretty sure that the dog is actually the protagonist of this story. It doesn't really matter as the film doesn't have much in the way of a plot or for that matter characters with human depth and being. What it does have-in spades!-is a kooky sense of humor and visual styling to spare. This is exceptional counterpoint to much of the mainstream animation garish and trite story telling. The film is decidedly odd but it is also decidedly entertaining and invokes delight and wonder like few films do.

I't difficult to understand the detractors' point of view. I watched this with my kids and we were all enthralled when not laughing out aloud. The characters - especially Bruno the dog - are more rounded than most from Hollywood and the plot is more plausible. That's probably why some uptight Americans may be offended... The film captures Gallic and Belleville (read New York) stereotypes to the point of caricature. The French are not good at enjoying humorous reflection but this is so well done... The DVD came with today's Times newspaper and I bought it because I heard the film features the the Cirtoen 2cv. The best £1 60 (about $3) I've spen in years. The downside? Too short!

A highly bizarre, surreal animated film from France, this is the largely wordless story of a sullen bicycle racer named Champion who is kidnapped by some shady thugs and brought to the giant metropolis of Belleville, and of his caring grandmother and dog, Bruno, who come to rescue him.

The critics are raving over this interesting little movie, but while I could certainly appreciate its creativity and incredible visual beauty (when it isn't focusing on grotesque characters or filth), it just didn't really sustain my interest.

I love to be immersed in other worlds, though, and the world in this movie ("surreal" doesn't quite do it justice) truly is something to behold, so I'm glad I saw it. I also loved Bruno and the grandmother (who is quite the tough little lady), and the great featured song.

A totally worthy movie in many ways, it just didn't quite do it for me.

The previews I saw for The Triplets of Belleville intrigued me...I said, hey, what is this unique, strange-looking movie? And when I watched it, it didn't disappoint; in fact I would say it was better than I could have imagined because of its originality and humor. The story was interesting and I loved the way all the parts of the story and details came together throughout the movie. I don't want to include any spoilers so I can't say all of the things that I thought were really cool but trust me, you need to watch this movie for yourself and you'll see what I mean. If you watch this movie and don't like it, you are probably either too young or too jaded or your mind is not open...I am a 33 year old female and loved it and so did my 34 year old boyfriend.

I would love to see the creators of this film make another one in the same style but somehow make it totally different but that might be hard because this movie is so unique and likable, I'm not sure they could match its greatness. I loved how there was hardly any speaking in the movie as well (for one reason, my boyfriend and I could comment on it without pausing it or missing any dialog). What else can I say but watch The Triplets of Belleville, if you don't like it within the first fifteen minutes, you might as well give up on it because I knew by the first time I laughed, about five or ten minutes in (if that), that I was in for a treat.

This film is a little twisted and dark in its style and subject matter. There is very little dialogue and the story is told visually so this is hard to avoid. Still, this story and the world it presents is quite absorbing.

I can honestly say that this is one of the most unusual movies I've seen in recent years. Virtually without dialogue, in sepia tones with an art deco aesthetic that makes it a tad gloomy, and with music that haunted me for days later. Yes, it is comic, but the comedy is a tad dark. Also, because of the unusual aesthetics, lack of dialogue, and the darkness of the comedy, I'm betting most kids would be bored. Kinda like how kids never liked Fantasia as much as their parents did. The Triplets of Belleville is ODD, almost "trippy," and isn't for everyone.

The plot has been summarized well elsewhere on this site, and I won't repeat it here. But the sacrifices of Grandma for the sake of Le Champion are touching. From the days of raising the young boy, she sought to give everything for his happiness. First a puppy, then a bike. Then her slaving away as his personal trainer and would-be rescuer. Question: Why does Le Champion never look happy? There are definitely aspects to this film I do not understand, but I can watch it over and over.

This movie is a testament to Wabi-Sabi, it finds beauty in imperfection. Every character has some sort of physical deformity. Even all the background characters are either be really fat, have a huge nose, buck teeth or a lazy eye. A distinct change of pace to anyone who thinks Barbie and other animated characters setting unrealistic standard of beauty.

Likewise, all the food looks disgusting. Characters eat nothing but mush and frogs. So from a visual stand point, it is all beautifully ugly and dirty.

The story is told mainly through the visuals with next to zero dialogue. Where "Shaun the Sheep" can go without speaking, because he is a sheep, sheep can't talk. There is no in-universe reason for everyone being so terse. And where the motives of characters like Coyote and Roadrunner are simple and apparent, it is harder to silently communicate these characters' motivations. For example, the villains' motivations in this, don't make much sense. And I guess the titular triplets join in the action because they have nothing better to do.

The movies main positives come towards the end, that is where all motivations are made clear, and the comedy can really shine. The movie had me loudly laughing a handful of times in their final act.

Like a blind date, she ain't much of a looker but she is pretty funny.