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The Triplets of Belleville
Les Triplettes de Belleville
2003 80 min France, Belgium, Canada, United Kingdom PG-13 12+
★8.1
Animation, Comedy, Drama, Adventure
Director: Sylvain Chomet
Trailers
Description
When her grandson is kidnapped during the Tour de France, Madame Souza and her beloved pooch Bruno team up with the Belleville Sisters—an aged song-and-dance team from the days of Fred Astaire—to rescue him.
Budget:
$9.5M
US Gross:
$7.01M
Worldwide:
$14.78M
Starring
Michèle Caucheteux
Actor
Jean-Claude Donda
Actor
Michel Robin
Actor
Awards
César Awards 2004
— Best Original Score
Georges Awards 2005
— Best Independent Film
Academy Awards 2004
— Best Original Song
César Awards 2004
— Best Original Score
César Awards 2004
— Best Debut
César Awards 2004
— Best Picture
BAFTA 2004
— Best International Feature Film
Key opinion
The Triplets of Belleville is widely celebrated as a distinctive, hand-drawn masterpiece that blends grotesque caricature with heartfelt storytelling. While most critics praise its visual innovation and nostalgic atmosphere, a minority find its exaggerated style and unconventional pacing alienating or narratively thin.
| Production | The hand-drawn animation employs a strikingly original, grotesque visual style that gives the film a unique identity. | |
| Acting | The near-total absence of dialogue is masterfully compensated for by expressive physical performances and rich, character-driven storytelling. | |
| Score | The evocative jazz-infused score and rhythmic sound design serve as the film's primary emotional and narrative engine. | |
| Culture | The film functions as a sophisticated, culturally resonant homage to classic French cinema and visual humor. | |
| Screenplay | The narrative depth is viewed as a brilliant mix of dark comedy and poignant drama by most, though others dismiss the plot as too simplistic or unoriginal. | |
| Pacing | The film’s deliberate, often slow-moving pace is either seen as an immersive, contemplative experience or an exhausting, tedious trial. |