I was fascinated by The Triplets of Belleville, but not nearly as fascinated as I was by the critical response to The Triplets of Belleville. The film is one of the most positively reviewed films of the year. There are a number of reasons for this praise, many of which are good reasons, but I really don’t think Triplets holds up to all the acclaim.

Triplets is original but not groundbreaking, clever but not brilliant, amusing but not funny, imaginative but not fantastic. It’s fun because it’s so unusual, so different from the type of animation we’re used to seeing. Triplets certainly gets points for its never ceasing imagination and its crisp, original animation, but its interest doesn’t extend much further.

Using almost no spoken words, The Triplets of Belleville tells the story of an older woman. Madam Souza, and her son, Champion, for whom she buys a bicycle and encourages his training. As an adult, he’s racing competitively in the Tour de France, until he and some other bikers are kidnapped by some thugs from Belleville. The thugs use the bikers for show and gambling, horse racing of sorts, to see which of the men can keep riding for the longest.

Souza travels to Belleville, a twisted version of America, to find her son. In a seeming commentary on American’s, everyone in Belleville is obese – including the Statue of Liberty. Everyone, that is, except for triplets, three sisters who used to be famous singers. Upon running into Madam Souza one day, the triplets are impressed with her knack for music and invite her into her home and seems to offer assistance in looking for Champion.

What bits of music we get really are pretty fun and the quirky animation lives up to the sounds. The whole thing is very strange, but strange in a fun, lighthearted sort of way. The whole thing is very light hearted – and to that extent it’s a pleasurable experience. But I just don’t believe there’s anything outstanding or extraordinarily significant in this little French confection.

French

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