A review by Dick Durbin

Going to see a film about cycling is something of a crap shoot.  You may see a winner, like Breaking Away , or you could see  American Flyers.  (Both movies have been released on DVD, by the way.) 

Not really knowing what to expect, we hied ourselves off to Miracle 5 to see if The Triplets of Belleville deserved its Academy Award nominations.  It appeared from the promotional materials in the lobby that the staff of the theater had gotten into the spirit of the movie.  Several of the signs promoting the film were hand-lettered, and a well used department store mountain bike had been supplied by an employee to use as a prop.

Champion is a lonely little boy in post war France until his grandmother, Madam Souza, buys him a tricycle.  Finding that he is never happier than on his bicycle, she trains him relentlessly until he is ready to compete in the Tour de France. 

A couple of square-shouldered thugs from the French Mafia kidnap him and haul him off to Belleville, a surreal cross between New York, Quebec and Montreal where all of the residents are obscenely obese.  Madam Souza and Champion's overweight dog Bruno set off in a paddleboat to find and rescue the protagonist.  The eponymous triplets are a trio of music hall stars from the 30's who take in Madam Souza and help in the rescue effort.

Fans of animation will appreciate the low-tech approach that is a marked counterpoint to Oscar winner Finding Nemo's computer generated animation.  The animation has a distinctly art nouveau feeling to it. Writer and director Sylvain Chomet credits Betty Boop and classic Disney animation as major influences on his style.

Cyclists will appreciate the training and racing scenes, which ring especially true.  Anyone who has climbed Church Hill near the end of a long ride will empathise with the backmarkers trying to stay ahead of the voiture balai (broom wagon).  Chomet says he is more interested in the people one sees along the Tour de France than in the race itself.  His depiction of the publicity caravan is spot on, as is his portrayal of a spectator running along in front of the race leaders.

The film earned its PG 13 rating from an opening scene routine by an animated, topless Josphine Baker, clad only in a string of bananas.  Unlike most animated movies, Triplets is not aimed at children although there is no doubt that most young boys I know will appreciate some of the bathroom humor. 

There are only a few spoken lines in the film, but the lack of dialogue does not prevent the viewer from following the story or appreciating the feeling of the characters.  Madam Souza's reluctance to chow down on the frogs served for dinner by the triplets reminded me of having to be polite and eat brussels sprouts at my Aunt Ethel's.

It takes the viewer a little while to get his bearings and become comfortable with the style and feel of the film. It might be easy to slip into a sense of melancholy early on, fooled by both Champion and Madame Souza's stoic expressions. Only Bruno, who revels in barking at trains seems to show much emotion.

Triplets is a movie that is better appreciated with repeated viewings.  Little gems of humor and irony are often overlooked the first time through.  I missed Django Rinehart the first time through. By the time you read this it should be out in DVD. It's one that is worth buying as it will undoubtedly become a classic of animated cinema.