The Triplets of Belleville (2003)
Granny vs. the Mafia: A grotesque caricature.
Presentation:
You know those street caricature artists? Well imagine an entire French animation of that - and it’s awesome. This is a distinct style of surreal animation from the 2000s that has always stuck with me. The exaggerated grotesque caricature perfectly complements French quirkiness while also having a playful whimsicality that children will enjoy. But I appreciated this film much more as an adult and ranks as one of my favorite visual styles of animation. The depictions of Americans and references to Disney and Mickey Mouse are also hilarious, but equally lovely is the charm of the characters. The soundtrack and art deco comic book style is the cherry on top.
Conclusion:
I really love this animation and I didn’t realize how touching the story was all this time. There’s barely any dialogue in this film yet the story is fully entertaining, meaning that the images stay in your memory. This should forever remain timeless, pure animated visual storytelling at its finest.
Recommendations
Phil Tippett’s nightmare fuel.