Les triplettes de Belleville (2003)

Directed by: Sylvain Chomet | 80 minutes | music, animation, comedy, adventure | Original voice cast: Béatrice Bonifassi, Lina Boudreau, Michèle Caucheteux, Jean-Claude Donda, Mari-Lou Gauthier, Charles Linton, Michel Robin, Monica Viegas

Pixar’s ‘Wall-E’ and also the first part of ‘Up’ are known for their large parts without dialogue, something that gave the animation giant a lot of extra publicity. But Pixar wasn’t pioneering that at all, of course. The most beautiful, but at the same time the most absurd, and almost dialogue-free animation film, which was released after the turn of the decade, but before ‘Wall-E’ (2007) and ‘Up’ (2009) is ‘Les triplettes de Belleville’ (2003). Frenchman Sylvain Chomet wrote the screenplay and directed the film, assisted by a host of talented animators, computer specialists and other enthusiasts. Because it is clear that the film was made by a team of fanatic people who fully support the product that they were going to manufacture.

France, sometime in the fifties. Toddler Champion lives with his grandmother, Mme Souza. The boy is not very happy, and grandmother tries everything to cheer him up. A puppy offers a temporary solution, but the joy is short-lived. In the end, grandma gives the ultimate gift: a tricycle! Champion is very happy and with his short thick legs he makes a lot of kilometers. The film takes the viewer with a jump in time to the seventies: Champion is now a well-trained cyclist and grandma has taken his place on the tricycle, from where she encourages him with short, fierce whistles. Champion has changed a lot from his chubby toddler look: his calves seem to have a life of their own, but it is immediately clear that it is the same kid. Chomet has given his characters caricatural features and with Champion these are the dark eyelids and the hawk nose. Without exception, there is something ugly about all the characters, with which Chomet’s film positions itself 180 degrees compared to other films in the genre.

The tension mainly stems from Grandma having to rescue Champion from organized crime, but it doesn’t get really compelling. However, that lack of tension is more than made up for on the visual level. When grandma loses sight of Champion while participating in the Tour de France – in the rear – he is kidnapped. Mme Souza, however, discovers where the crooks are taking her grandson and does everything in her power to right the wrongs that have been done to them. She arrives in a sort of baroque version of New York together with Bruno, the oversized dog (who is also very clearly that puppy from back then), and is assisted in her quest by the triplets of Belleville, who are still just like in the fifties, when Mme Souza and Champion enjoyed the appearances of Les triplettes on TV.

‘Les triplettes de Belleville’ is an animated film that you can hardly compare with its peers. The eccentric production is bursting at the seams with creativity and you will be overwhelmed by beautiful details and unique finds. Because the dialogues are absent, almost all communication has to take place via the facial expressions and body positions of the characters and that works very well. ‘Triplettes’ continues to fascinate, despite the story that falls short of the visual splendor and the occasionally sublime humor. An animation film that optimally utilizes the entire latitude of the genre.