The Triplets of Belleville/Les Triplettes de Belleville
The Illusionist/L’Illusionniste directed by Sylvain Chomet, is being released at Smithfield’s Lighthouse in Dublin today. We thought we’d take a look at his previous feature-length work The Triplets of Belleville/Les Triplettes de Belleville. This film was a collaborative work between France, Canada, Belgium and the UK and it was nominated for two Oscars.
At the bopping of the opening tune, you know there’s a party and you’re heading to it. We’re introduced to Madame Souza, a grandmother trying her best to please her listless young grandson. He has a passing interest in pianos so Souza plays the piano horribly, when that doesn’t succeed she buys him a puppy. Nothing is too much to please the young boy. She discovers that bicycles are his thing, so she buys him a tricycle. Many years later, her grandson has grown up and she helps him to train for the Tour de France.
At the Tour de France, her grandson gets kidnapped by the mafia and taken to America for a betting ring. Madame Souza gives chase in her little pedal boat after her grandson. Grandma meets the Triplets Belleville – and I like their style – everything can be sorted with a grenade. Comic relief is served up by Triplet Belleville’s OCD. Nods to inanimate objects including fridges, papers and hoovers. Seasons pass and the quartet play ensemble at a restaurant where the mafia boss attends. Together the four women and Bruno the dog strive to free her grandson from the clutches of the mafia.
There is hardly any speech in this film, it’s not required to understand the intention of the characters. The lack of speech relies on the emotive response and actions of the characters. At times Madame Souza driove me demented with the whistle but it’s understandable as it conveyed her wishes without speech; speaking what she wanted would have detracted fom the film somehow. Everything is over stated in this film. If it’s tall, it’s too tall, large, it’s extra extra large.
If this film is high standard of the rest of Chomet’s work then I’m looking foward to The Illusionist.
Verdict: A fascinating film.
Rating: 
Directed by: Sylvain Chomet
Written by: Sylvain Chomet
Voices of: Béatrice Bonifassi, Lina Boudreau, Michèle Caucheteux, Jean-Claude Donda.
Age Rating: 13+
The Triplets of Belleville/Les Triplettes de Belleville on IMDb
Posted by Klara
on 2:55 pm. Filed under Film, Hot Picks, Latest Column.
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