In a day of Pixar computer effects and "South Park," traditional, 2-D, hand-drawn animation is being viewed as a dying art form.
Obviously, those doubters have not seen "The Triplets of Belleville," an Academy Award-nominated marvel that catches your eyes and ears and does not let either take a rest until the final credits roll. It is a bizarre, trippy, intricate, beautiful, involving, chaotic and wholly imaginative piece of art that springs to life and is sure to tickle any child trapped in a grown-up's body.
The story revolves around Madame Souza, an elderly French woman who rears her grandson to become a champion biker with dreams of winning the Tour de France. These dreams are crushed, though, when a bizarre French mafia kidnaps him with nefarious intentions and takes him to the U.S. Souza follows with her trusty dog Bruno in tow, and soon finds herself in the streets of Belleville, a foreigner with no idea of the culture she is placed in.
To her aid come the Triplets, an elderly group of sisters who were once an infamous song-and-dance group from the Depression era. The triplets, who take her in, do their best to help Souza retrieve her grandson, dodging bullets, singing and dancing, doing "Stomp"-like performances on refrigerators and bike spokes, fishing with grenades and throwing on ridiculous disguises.
That is the plot, presented with virtually no dialogue whatsoever, save background noise and conversations. Dialogue is arbitrary here. The story, in its simplicity, tells itself without necessitating dialogue. One just simply needs to watch.
Words cannot begin to describe the hybrid of animation styles employed throughout the film, which seems like a children's book sprung to life. Try to imagine a combination of Shel Silverstein, "Where the Wild Things Are," "Aeon Flux," Tim Burton, 1930s Disney, computer animation, "Yellow Submarine" real-world structures and old-school silent films - add a dash of potent acid and you're still struggling to describe it.
The film offers some redundant moments, where actions are repeated to get across the dialogue-free narrative. These moments are welcome during the visual assault and serve as an excuse to let your eyes wander around and take in all the brilliant and imaginative images.
That's what this one is all about: the visualization of ideas to push the story along. The cyclists are frail, thin men with massive, muscular legs who, as distance racers, take on the characteristics of horses. When Souza arrives in America, she is greeted by an obese Statue of Liberty and cavalcade of fast food joints.
The mafia men walk in pairs, their broad shoulders and black coats blending together as they puff long cigarettes and drive mod cars. Vast cityscapes, combining hand drawings and real-world structures, are breathtaking. Shipyards and ocean scenes are so rich in detail and depth that they almost look palpable. Everything, from the street gutters to shop windows, are given such loving detail you almost feel immersed in the environments. Some of it borders on grotesquely exquisite, some of it looks like it should be hanging in a museum. It's a very surreal vision of the universe.
All this rich detail is enhanced by a very playful story laced with some very good, adult-oriented humor. The musical numbers (few and far between, mind you) are also a hoot, from the opening sequence that looks like an old-school Warner Brothers black-and-white to a scene at a speakeasy-style place where the sisters use their environment as their instruments. It all just works.
"The Triplets of Belleville" may not be for everybody - particularly uptight folks who need to be beaten over the head with plot points and berated with irrelevant dialogue. But for anyone looking to entice their inner child while still being treated like an adult, this just may be the kind of rare treat that comes along oh-so seldomly. In limited release, the film will likely not be in the area very long. Animation fans should do themselves a favor and see it on a big screen, then perhaps the idea of hand-drawn animation as a dying species will be rethought.
If you liked this, you might also like: "Spirited Away" or "City of Lost Children."
