The Triplets of Belleville

I got this item from Amazon, their info says the aspect ratio is 1.78:1 (widescreen) and the DVD case says so as well but when I pop in the DVD it informs me that the film has been formatted to fit my (a 4:3) screen. Which means the sides are cut off, you're missing part of the film. I don't know if this was a fluke or if they packaged it that way (DVD companies have done stupid things in the past) but I passed the refund date on my purchase before I watched so make sure to put in the disk and check the aspect ratio if that matters to you before watching it. That said, it's a fantastic film, gets a lot of story across with only 2 lines of dialogue, and just amazing visuals and sound design. Again, wonderful film, bad DVD.

In America, it is currently not very popular to say nice things about the French. (Personally, I find to whole thing stupid since neither of our countries would have faired so well without the other (read a history book)). However, since I have never been too concerned with popularity (duh) I don't hesitate in giving my honest opinion of this film. "Triplets of Belleview" is an incredibly refreshing change of pace.
Let me explain...

THIS IS NOT FAST FOOD
In America, we typically like our meals to come in a sort of overture of taste; a bunch of flavors that work well together, all at the same time. We take a bite of this, a sip of that, a nibble of the other thing; rinse and repeat. It is a linear process. It begins and ends with no separation of the food (the exception being appetizers and dessert, and those aren't required). In fact, we call our main meals "entrées" since they are both the beginning and the end. In France (and other places in Europe) the entrée is only the beginning (entrée meens "enter" in French). So you "enter" the meal with one taste. When you are finished, you move on to the next taste; enjoying each as it's own complementary element. By the end, you may have had a leisurely and enjoyable meal that might have taken 3 hours. If viewed in this way, "TOB" really works. This is precisely why I liked this film so much. There is a cohesive thread of a story, but each scene is enjoyable by itself and could almost be viewed a separate (but related) event. There is no hurry here. The American version of this film might be 30 minutes long. That's all it would take to tell the story. But this film was meant to be savored, one scene at a time, one detail at a time.

A PALITABLE ANIMATION STYLE
So you don't like French cuisine? Do you like hamburgers? Well this is good old fashioned American/Disney style full animation. In fact they used techniques invented by Disney for "101 Dalmatians" (since outmoded). Also, computer animation was used for geometric objects and interactions with them. This saved time and money while ensuring the characters remain the point of interest instead of some bicycle twisting and wobbling with a case of the shakes. So, imagine this as a hamburger served in pieces; first one bun, then the pickles, and then cheese... ...same taste presented in a different way. All that said; the animation is top-notch and yet unique. The characters show a full range of demeanor and emotion in both their design and motion. The expressiveness of character despite lack of dialogue is a true testament to excellent animation.

AHHH... ...EUROPEAN SENSABILITIES
Many Americans have trouble with European views of culture and humor. In America we tend to openly avoid giving notice to what makes people different. It seems Europeans view the differences in culture/race as a matter of fact to be discussed or pointed out. I've read some criticisms of this film depicting Americans as nothing but fat pigs. As a member of the fattest nation on earth, I find it hard to argue. Therefore I was not offended by it. In fact most people in this film were quite large and/or grotesque regardless of where they came from. That said, be ready for in-your-face cultural references and subtle, quirky humor. If you need your humor loud and deliberate, you might not like this.

AN AVANTE GARDE VACUUM...
...amongst other everyday items create one of the more unique animated musical sequences you may ever see. I enjoyed this dish a great deal.

IS IT A KIDS CARTOON?
LORD NO!! Shootings, prostitutes, crippled frogs, casual use of hand grenades and Josephine Baker twirling her "chesticles" might be a little too much for most kids. Also, in the extras, some comments are made in passing about "African bodies" when discussing the design of the triplets. Also, a stereotypical black person sketch is shown as the inspiration for the triplet's bodies. Again, this was typical of how my German parents understood and discussed culture; somewhat embarrassing. My kids will not see this anytime soon.

THE DVD
I got this for around five bucks, so it's a cheapy; plenty of extras and good enough quality.

FIN
I highly recommend this film for those hungering for something different, yet very tasty. It's not presented in the usual American way so you must be ready to saver each scene as its own dish. Don't be in a hurry or you'll get heartburn. You had better be ready to relax and enjoy each flavor on it's own as part of the overall experience; definitely not for everyone. I thought it was a nice change of pace.

The most entertaining film I have ever seen, and it gets better each time you see it.

Words cannot express how outrageous it is, but in some DVD extras, director Sylvain Chomet says that he's a fan of early animation as well as the current animé trend. Indeed, the Betty Boop type silliness of the opening (as a prototype of Josephine Baker) is delightful. I watched the American version, though it really doesn't matter, because there's virtually NO dialogue; yet there's no question about plot situations nor their resolutions. So much relies on the terrific music. I won't blab away the plot, but it's a terrific story about 30's intrigue, the French mafia and good vs evil. I haven't had so much fun in a long time; it helps if you're an old movie buff.

Heard about this movie from a friend. Thought it would be a nice relaxing break for my son who is a competitive cyclist. We watched it together one night with a teammate and it was a great home evening. Light hearted and cute... with just a little tie to his cycling passion.