Summer Film: Belleville Rendez-vous (AKA The Triplets of Belleville)
Sylvan Chomet, 2003, France, Belgium, Canada, UK, Latvia, South Korea, Colour, in French with English subtitles, 80 mins, Certificate: 12
Proud grandma/guardian/mentor/trainer of cyclist Champion, Madame Souza, realises that her grandson has been kidnapped while competing in the Tour de France.
With Champion’s beloved, overweight dog, Bruno, by her side she is off to rescue him, encountering outrageous adventures and enlisting the help of three eccentric elderly women, (formerly famous as the jazz trio The Triplets of Belleville) along the way.
How does this sound? Unusual? Strange? Funny?
Chomet’s multi-award winning animation is all of the above and so much more. Hilariously surreal and fearlessly imaginative, with a bold, dark and edgy sense of humor Belleville Rendez-vous sounds like nothing you have ever heard, and looks like nothing you have ever seen.
Watch out for the often dirty Anti-Disney jokes (like the Mickey shaped poop in the toilet), the musical guests (music hall’s legend of the 1920s, Django Reinhardt shows up playing the guitar) and inspired cameos (General de Gaulle appears on a TV speaking about the Tour de France).
You will laugh, you will cry tears of joy, maybe sing and even dance a little.
What better way to end the season before our summer break.
Reviews:
“Shot through with sadness and satire, nostalgia and complexity, French animator Chomet’s first full-length feature mixes a cracking, comedic (practically dialogue-free) adventure yarn with a hymn for times lost into something unique and cherishable.” William Thomas, Empire
“The astonishing, outlandish, and singular originality of THE TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLE defeats any attempt to describe or explain it. But it also makes it a lot of fun to watch.” Neil Minow, Common Sense Media
“Chomet’s delightful hand-drawn images evoke the ’50s Paris of Jacques Tati. A tad dark for little kids, this one-of-a-kind movie delivers 80 minutes of idiosyncratic inspiration.” David Ansen, Newsweek
“Fast, funny, unexpected and uninhibited, The Triplets of Belleville may be animated, but it is also the product of an artistic vision every bit as rigorous as any lofty Cannes prize-winner. Hearing about a film this special isn’t enough. It demands to be seen, and it generously rewards those who, like Madame Souza, let nothing stand in their way.” Kenneth Turan , Los Angeles Times