It appears this animation movie was released in 2003, but I had never heard of it until this week. It’s probably the most original and unusual animation story-line I’ve ever seen. It’s a French movie, but there’s almost no dialogue. The drawings and animation basically tell the entire story.
If you haven’t seen it, give it a try. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
1Dan on Sep 12, 2007 at 8:15 am:
I’ve been meaning to see it for some time, ever since it came out actually, but just never got around to doing so. I love the theme song for it. just beautiful.
2Ronan on Sep 12, 2007 at 8:16 am:
I tried to like this film, I really did. It’s good, but not brilliant. Don’t really know how to explain it. Perhaps it was too long. Yeah, it was too long. A 20 minute short would have sufficed. Great music though.
3danithew on Sep 12, 2007 at 8:36 am:
Ronan, maybe it’s just a subjective thing.
Two nights ago I started watching it but I was so tired twenty minutes into the show that I _had_ to go to sleep. But I was fascinated by what was going on in the movie - so I came back to it last night and watched it all the way through. I loved it.
This morning I ran into a neighbor walking out her door with a Netflix package and I mentioned to her that we had just watched “Triplets from Belleville.” She too said that she loved the film - but she also said that the movie hadn’t been very successful in the U.S.
4Ben on Sep 12, 2007 at 9:08 am:
My wife and I saw this in Paris when it came out. We liked it, but it was quirky and odd enough that we don’t ever care if we see it again.
5danithew on Sep 12, 2007 at 2:35 pm:
Ben - it certainly is odd and quirky. No doubt about that.
6Nick Literski on Sep 13, 2007 at 5:33 pm:
I was with you, danithew, when you said that “twenty minutes into the show that I _had_ to go to sleep.” Of course, I didn’t have the excuse of fatigue. I simply thought it was one of the most mind-numbingly boring pieces of animation I’ve ever seen. I sat through it, nodding off several times as I recall. Never again.
Good heavens…I get sleepy just THINKING about it!
7danithew on Sep 14, 2007 at 7:21 am:
Nick,
The beginning part of the film doesn’t seem to make sense for about ten minutes and then suddenly everything becomes an actual story. I wonder if the beginning part leaves people wondering what the heck is going on or bores them. That was the way I was feeling … at first I was thinking “how am I going to keep watching this” but then it changed and became very interesting.
I wonder though if the film has a particular appeal that will only reach certain people. For example, my wife and I love dogs - and there is a dog that is a character in the story. When he whimpers or makes little whining sounds, it charms us. Also, I really like the grandma character. It’s obvious she loves her grandson because of all the attention and determined support she gives him. Those characters in the story - plus the artwork/animation, really make it a great piece to me.