The Triplets of Belleville (2003) - Movie Review

The Triplets of Belleville (2003)

RATING: C-

Directed by Sylvain Chomet

Starring Jean-Claude Donda, Michel Robin, Monica Viegas

"...ultimately amounts to a series of peculiar images and characters that are loosely strung together to create a tapestry of unredeeming weirdness."

The Triplets of Belleville is a strange, sometimes nonsensical film which, I can only presume, attempts to achieve greatness through its style. Certainly, its plot does not help. Only one of the characters—Madame Souza—is worthy of mention. The meekness of her stature and her humble disposition comically betray all she’s actually capable of. Even then, her mannerisms can only take her so far (as she speaks all but about three words throughout the entire film). The Belleville Sisters themselves are merely duplicate (or, more precisely, triplicate) caricatures of the same person: that of an old has-been with odd mannerisms and an even odder taste palate. In the end, the film’s ethos of strangeness cannot make up for its lack of narrative inspiration.

This animated film tells the story of Champion, a young boy who becomes a cycling phenom, and enters the world-famous Tour de France as an adult. However, during his cycling contest, he is mysteriously kidnapped by two mafia men in black. Madame Souza—his adoptive grandmother—and her faithful dog Bruno set out to find him. Their search takes them across the ocean to a large city called Belleville. There, they meet a trio of music-hall singers from yesteryear—“The Triplets of Belleville”—who are all too eager to help Madame Souza in her search for her kidnapped grandson.

This movie is weird. That’s about the best that can be said about it. Indeed, that is all that can be said about it. Given that there is no dialogue, no coherency of plot, and no plausibility to its outcome, The Triplets of Belleville ultimately amounts to a series of peculiar images and characters that are loosely strung together to create a tapestry of unredeeming weirdness. Much like Tim Burton’s Big Fish, this film fails to draw us into its story because it assumes that peculiarity for its own sake is somehow imbued with a sense of noble authenticity or meaningful originality. If anything, this film proves otherwise.

I’d give Sylvain Chomet’s The Triplets of Belleville a C-.