This review originally appeared on the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation’s “Roll Film” movie review site (http://www.biketraffic.org/content.php?id=219_0_6_0). Each film was also reviewed by my CBF colleague, Greg Borzo, who focused more on the bike content.
THE TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLE
2 1/2 Wheels
The Triplets of Belleville would have made a fine short film, clocking in somewhere between 15 and 30 minutes. Unfortunately, at 90 minutes, there was too little story, too much repetition and too many dead spots. It had me checking my watch more than once. This is not to say that I don't admire the film's achievements. The animation is endlessly imaginative and state of the art. What the film is devoid of is an imagination of narrative ideas and character development.
Don't get me wrong. I would much rather see a flawed, but original film like Triplets than most of the cookie cutter product playing at the multiplex. French filmmaker, Sylvain Chomet, is an artist with a vision. Through his decidedly original animation, he succeeds in showing us a world we have not seen before. Cityscapes seem to combine old world Europe with a kind of post-modern exaggeration. Chomet's animated world is not unlike the world of Moulin Rouge, as it has the same commitment to blurring the lines between past, present and fantasy.
As far as the character animation goes, Chomet consistently presents his creations as grotesques. Almost all the characters are either morbidly obese or utterly emaciated. Physical exaggeration is, of course, a mainstay of animation. In this case however, the effect is more to disturb than amuse. This would not be a problem if the cast were given interesting personalities to play off of their bizarre appearance. As it is, the only character I found remotely engaging was the dog (who mostly acts like a dog and not a Snoopy-style person dog).
The plot centers around a portly child named Champion, his Grandma, Madame Souza, and the aforementioned dog. Demanding that Champion live up to his name, Madame Souza gives him a bicycle and begins to train him for the Tour de France. —Now may be a good time to mention that Triplets has almost no dialogue; for instance, Grandma's method of communication consists mainly of blowing a little training whistle.
Flash forward to a young adult Champion, who is rail-thin, except for his immense calves gained through years of bicycling training. The formerly precocious Champion becomes a sad-eyed character whose spirit is broken long before the film's French mafia baddies appear and kidnappings and chases are added to the mix. Despite all the bike content, I would maintain that this is an anti-bicycling movie. Bike riding here is portrayed as the worst kind of soul sucking drudgery.
The triplets of the title are a formerly famous jazz trio (who Champion watches on TV in the clever slapstick opening.) Now elderly, the trio is enlisted to help rescue one of the main characters. There are two things particularly interesting about the triplets. One is their creative methods of cooking frogs and the other is the song that they sing throughout the film. "Belleville Rendez-vous" was deservedly nominated for an Academy Award for best song. It's a great number, ridiculously catchy and works wonderfully with the animation.
I would recommend Triplets to quirky animation lovers only. The rest of you may leave humming, but you'll wonder what it was you just saw.
THE TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLE
2 1/2 Wheels
The Triplets of Belleville would have made a fine short film, clocking in somewhere between 15 and 30 minutes. Unfortunately, at 90 minutes, there was too little story, too much repetition and too many dead spots. It had me checking my watch more than once. This is not to say that I don't admire the film's achievements. The animation is endlessly imaginative and state of the art. What the film is devoid of is an imagination of narrative ideas and character development.
Don't get me wrong. I would much rather see a flawed, but original film like Triplets than most of the cookie cutter product playing at the multiplex. French filmmaker, Sylvain Chomet, is an artist with a vision. Through his decidedly original animation, he succeeds in showing us a world we have not seen before. Cityscapes seem to combine old world Europe with a kind of post-modern exaggeration. Chomet's animated world is not unlike the world of Moulin Rouge, as it has the same commitment to blurring the lines between past, present and fantasy.
As far as the character animation goes, Chomet consistently presents his creations as grotesques. Almost all the characters are either morbidly obese or utterly emaciated. Physical exaggeration is, of course, a mainstay of animation. In this case however, the effect is more to disturb than amuse. This would not be a problem if the cast were given interesting personalities to play off of their bizarre appearance. As it is, the only character I found remotely engaging was the dog (who mostly acts like a dog and not a Snoopy-style person dog).
The plot centers around a portly child named Champion, his Grandma, Madame Souza, and the aforementioned dog. Demanding that Champion live up to his name, Madame Souza gives him a bicycle and begins to train him for the Tour de France. —Now may be a good time to mention that Triplets has almost no dialogue; for instance, Grandma's method of communication consists mainly of blowing a little training whistle.
Flash forward to a young adult Champion, who is rail-thin, except for his immense calves gained through years of bicycling training. The formerly precocious Champion becomes a sad-eyed character whose spirit is broken long before the film's French mafia baddies appear and kidnappings and chases are added to the mix. Despite all the bike content, I would maintain that this is an anti-bicycling movie. Bike riding here is portrayed as the worst kind of soul sucking drudgery.
The triplets of the title are a formerly famous jazz trio (who Champion watches on TV in the clever slapstick opening.) Now elderly, the trio is enlisted to help rescue one of the main characters. There are two things particularly interesting about the triplets. One is their creative methods of cooking frogs and the other is the song that they sing throughout the film. "Belleville Rendez-vous" was deservedly nominated for an Academy Award for best song. It's a great number, ridiculously catchy and works wonderfully with the animation.
I would recommend Triplets to quirky animation lovers only. The rest of you may leave humming, but you'll wonder what it was you just saw.
No comments:
Post a Comment