Les triplettes de Belleville (2003)

User Rating:

7.7/10   

Director:

Sylvain Chomet

Writer:

Sylvain Chomet (written by)

Release Date:

11 June 2003 (France)

Genre:

Animation | Adventure | Comedy | Music

Plot:

When her grandson is kidnapped during the Tour de France, Madame Souza and her beloved pooch Bruno team up with the Belleville Sisters--an aged song-and-dance team from the days of Fred Astaire--to rescue him.

Plot Keywords:

Mafia | Dog | Tour De France | France | Tricycle

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 18 wins & 20 nominations

Cast

Béatrice Bonifassi	...	Triplets (singing voice)
Lina Boudreau	...	Triplets (voice)
Michèle Caucheteux	...	(voice)
Jean-Claude Donda	...	(voice)
Mari-Lou Gauthier	...	Triplets (voice)
Charles Linton	...	(singing voice) (as Charles Prévost Linton)
Michel Robin	...	(voice)
Monica Viegas	...	(voice)

Also Known As:

The Triplets of Belleville (International: English title) (USA)
Belleville Rendez-Vous (UK)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for images involving sensuality, violence and crude humor.

Runtime:

Argentina:80 min (Buenos Aires Festival Internacional de Cine Independiente) | Canada:78 min

Country:

France | Belgium | Canada | UK

Language:

French | Portuguese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Switzerland:10 (canton of Zurich) | Malaysia:U | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Brazil:Livre | Chile:TE | Denmark:7 | Finland:K-7 | France:U | Germany:6 | Mexico:B15 | Netherlands:AL | Norway:7 | Peru:PT | Portugal:M/6 | Singapore:NC-16 | Sweden:Btl | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | UK:12A | USA:PG-13 | Iceland:L | Canada:G (Ontario)

Company:

Les Armateurs

Trivia:

"Roberte Rivette", the accordionist who plays her instrument atop a truck while following the cyclists in the Tour de France, represents Yvette Horner, the mega-selling artist who still records albums and plays her accordeon to large crowds in France. Horner recently described her own experiences as very similar to those of "Roberte Rivette" in "Les Triplettes de Belleville": she continued playing her accordeon along the Tour de France route with a big smile as insects ceaselessly were caught in her teeth.

Goofs:

Continuity: Near the End, where the Triplets and Souza are going across the bay over the bridge, you see a ship passing under it into the harbour. However, when the Mafia goes over the edge into the funnel of the ship, It is leaving the harbour, not entering it.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Madame Souza: Is that it, then? Is it over, do you think? What have you got to say to Grandma?

Movie Connections:

References The Penguin Parade (1938)

Soundtrack:

Das wohltemperirte Clavier, Prelude no. 2 in C minor

Just Great

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.