Les triplettes de Belleville (2003)

User Rating:

7.7/10   

Director:

Sylvain Chomet

Writer:

Sylvain Chomet (written by)

Release Date:

11 June 2003 (France)

Genre:

Animation | Adventure | Comedy | Music

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Belleville | Mafia | Tour De France | Dog | France

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 18 wins & 20 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Sat. July 11	11:00 PM	PBS
Sun. July 12	2:25 AM	PBS
Wed. July 15	1:30 AM	PBS

Cast

Béatrice Bonifassi	...	Triplets (singing voice)
Lina Boudreau	...	Triplets (voice)
Michèle Caucheteux	...	(voice)
Jean-Claude Donda	...	(voice)
Mari-Lou Gauthier	...	Triplets (voice)
Charles Linton	...	(singing voice) (as Charles Prévost Linton)
Michel Robin	...	(voice)
Monica Viegas	...	(voice)

Directed by
Sylvain Chomet

Writing credits
Sylvain Chomet		(written by)

Produced by
Didier Brunner	....	producer
Paul Cadieux	....	co-producer
Regis Ghezelbash	....	associate producer
Colin Rose	....	associate producer
Viviane Vanfleteren	....	producer

Original Music by
Benoît Charest

Film Editing by
Dominique Brune
Chantal Colibert Brunner
Dominique Lefever

Production Design by
Evgeni Tomov

Art Direction by
Thierry Million

Production Management
François Bernard	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Gérard T. Goulet	....	assistant director

Art Department
Karyne Bergeron	....	color design assistant
Bruno Ghigou	....	artistic supervisor
Carole Roy	....	color designer

Sound Department
Germain Boulay	....	sound editor
Mathieu Cox	....	sound re-recording mixer
Eric DeVos	....	sound (as Eric De Vos)
Xavier Drouault	....	foley artist
Alek Goosse	....	sound re-recording mixer
Eric Grattepain	....	sound effects editor
Gert Janssen	....	assistant sound editor
Marina Lerchs	....	adr mixer
Samuel Mittelman	....	additional sound
Henri Morelle	....	sound
Alexis Oscari	....	sound assistant
Stéphanie Perrin	....	sound editor
Denis Prud'hon	....	adr editor
Laurent Quaglio	....	sound
Carl Van Brande	....	sound supervisor
Griet Van Reeth	....	sound

Visual Effects by
Christel Boyer	....	digital compositor
Frédéric Dupuis	....	2D effects animator
Nicolas Ferrere	....	2D effects animation supervisor
Florian Fiebig	....	2D effects animator
Bruno Ghigou	....	visual effects supervisor
Yann Hradecky	....	digital effects
Rouja Koleva	....	2D effects animation supervisor
Julie Kuchlein	....	2D effects animator
Hugues Martel	....	2D effects animator
Dave W. Pelkey	....	2D effects animator
Simon Pelletier	....	2D effects animator
Raf Schoenmaekers	....	digital compositor
Pieter Van Houte	....	digital effects
Alexis Venet	....	2D effects animator

Animation Department
Ilze Albekeite	....	inbetween artist: Rija Film Studio
Caroline Ardies	....	background painter
Isabelle Auclair	....	assistant animator: "Mme. Souza"
Carlos Barrato	....	background designer
Linda Best	....	assistant animator: "Mme. Souza"
Jolanta Bigele	....	inbetween artist: Rija Film Studio
Liena Bizune	....	inbetween artist: Rija Film Studio
Laura Bluma	....	assistant animator: Rija Film Studio
Michel Breton	....	background designer
Stéphane Cartro	....	assistant animator: "Bruno the Dog"
Lai Kin Chang	....	assistant animator: title sequence
Sylvain Chomet	....	animation director
Sylvain Chomet	....	animator
Sylvain Chomet	....	character designer
Kristine Cibulska	....	inbetween supervisor: Rija Film Studio
Roberts Cinkuss	....	animator: Rija Film Studio
Christelle Coopman	....	clean-up artist: title sequence
Vanessa Crahay	....	assistant animator: Studio Artdog
Antoine Dartige	....	animator: "Champion"
Dace Darzniece	....	animator: Rija Film Studio
Dirk de Loose	....	animator: Studio Artdog
Kellie Devries	....	background painter (as Kelly De Vries)
Samuel Dhaussy	....	background painter
Diana Druke	....	assistant animator: Rija Film Studio
Xavier Dujardin	....	additional character designer
Xavier Dujardin	....	animator: "Gangsters" and "Godfather"
Frédéric Dupuis	....	assistant animator: "Gangsters" and "Godfather"
Paul Dutton	....	additional animator: "The Triplettes"
Paul Dutton	....	animator: "Gangsters" and "Godfather"
Joke Eycken	....	animator: Studio Artdog
Benoît Féroumont	....	lead animator: Studio Artdog
Florian Fiebig	....	animator: "Bruno the Dog"
Dan Filippin	....	animator
Christophe Gautier	....	background painter
Olivier Goka	....	animator: Studio Artdog
Gérard T. Goulet	....	animation supervisor: title sequence
Gérard T. Goulet	....	assistant animator: "Champion"
Gunta Gracinska	....	inbetween artist: Rija Film Studio
Emmanuel Guille-Vuora	....	animator: "Mme. Souza" (as Emmanuel Guille)
Marie-Laure Guisset	....	animator: Studio Artdog
Jennifer Gustavsen	....	assistant animator: "Bruno the Dog"
Jennifer Gustavsen	....	inbetween artist
Iveta Hincenberga	....	animator: Rija Film Studio
Diana Janele	....	assistant animator: Rija Film Studio
Dina Jansone	....	inbetween artist: Rija Film Studio
Elita Kanepe	....	inbetween artist: Rija Film Studio
Nelda Karpenska	....	animator: Rija Film Studio
Nelda Karpenska	....	inbetween artist: Rija Film Studio
Laurent Kircher	....	animator: "Champion" and "Morissot"
Elie Klimis	....	assistant animator: Studio Artdog
Elie Klimis	....	clean-up artist: title sequence
Rouja Koleva	....	animator: "Mme. Souza"
Vineta Krastina	....	inbetween artist: Rija Film Studio
Julie Kuchlein	....	animator: "Mme. Souza"
Corinne Kuyl	....	animator: Studio Artdog
Grigor Kuzmanov	....	background painter (as Grigor Kouzmanov)
Monica Langlois	....	background painter
Félix Lavallée	....	inbetween artist
Tatjana Lebedeva	....	inbetween artist: Rija Film Studio
Marianne Lebel	....	assistant animator: "Mme. Souza"
Justin Lee	....	assistant animator: "Gangsters" and "Godfather"
Angelo Libutti	....	animator
Jean-Christophe Lie	....	animator: "Rose"
Jean-Christophe Lie	....	supervising animator: "The Triplettes"
Valentina Lietuviete	....	animator: Rija Film Studio
Philippe Lockerby	....	animator: "Gangsters" and "Godfather"
Dace Luce	....	inbetween artist: Rija Film Studio
Pascal Maoloni	....	assistant animator: Studio Artdog
Hugues Martel	....	animator: "Blanche"
Dita Masena	....	inbetween artist: Rija Film Studio
Parsla Maurina	....	inbetween artist: Rija Film Studio
Benoît Milhorat	....	assistant animator
Alexei Nechytaylo	....	background painter
Alexei Nechytaylo	....	texture supervisor
Panayot Panayotov	....	animator
Sarmite Pape	....	inbetween artist: Rija Film Studio
Dave W. Pelkey	....	assistant animator: "Mme. Souza" and "Bruno the Dog"
Simon Pelletier	....	assistant animator: "Rose"
Indra Petraskevica	....	inbetween artist: Rija Film Studio
Inga Praulina	....	animation supervisor: Rija Film Studio
Laima Puntule	....	inbetween artist: Rija Film Studio
Nicolas Quéré	....	animator: "Mme. Souza"
Ilze Ruska	....	animator: Rija Film Studio
Ringla Rutkovska	....	inbetween artist: Rija Film Studio
Dace Saulite	....	inbetween artist: Rija Film Studio
Aleksandrs Sehovcovs	....	inbetween artist: Rija Film Studio
Anete Simanovska	....	inbetween artist: Rija Film Studio
Marc Simard	....	assistant animator: "Champion"
Liga Skirmane	....	assistant animator: Rija Film Studio
Ieva Smite	....	animator: Rija Film Studio
Stanimir Stoilov	....	background designer
Gunta Sudraba	....	assistant animator: Rija Film Studio
Jacqueline Swennen	....	clean-up artist: title sequence
Aiga Tabaka	....	inbetween artist: Rija Film Studio
Marina Trede	....	assistant animator: Rija Film Studio
Marina Trede	....	inbetween artist: Rija Film Studio
Yann Tremblay	....	animator: "Bruno the Dog" and others
Patricia Vandevoorde	....	assistant animator: title sequence
Patricia Vandevoorde	....	clean-up artist: title sequence
Pieter Vanluffelen	....	assistant animator: title sequence
Zhigang Wang	....	animator: "Violette"
Éric Warin	....	additional character designer
Éric Warin	....	assistant animator
Bruno Wouters	....	animator: title sequence
Dana Zagere	....	inbetween artist: Rija Film Studio
Ilze Zalane	....	assistant animator: Rija Film Studio
Linda Zepa	....	assistant animator: Rija Film Studio
Taiga Zile	....	animator: Rija Film Studio
Kristine Zvirbule	....	inbetween artist: Rija Film Studio

Music Department
Thomas Dutronc	....	musician: solo guitar
Luc Papineau	....	music mixer
Christopher B.J. Smith	....	musician: trombone and tuba

Other crew
Christophe Panzner	....	post-production deal broker

Thanks
Sophie Tatischeff	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Les Armateurs
• Production Champion
• Vivi Film
• France 3 Cinéma
• RG Prince Films (co-production)
• Canal+ (participation)
• Gimages 3 (participation) (as Sofica Gimages 3)
• Cofimage 12 (participation)
• Téléfilm Canada (participation)
• Société de Développement des Entreprises Culturelles (SODEC) (participation)
• Centre National de la Cinématographie (CNC) (support)
• Fonds Film in Vlaanderen (support)
• Nationale Loterij van België (support) (as Nationale Loterij)
• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) (in association with) (BBC Bristol)
• BBC Worldwide (in association with)
• Département de la Charente (participation)
• Région Poitou-Charentes (participation)
• Cartoon (support)
• Procirep (support)
• Programme MEDIA de la Communauté Européenne (support)

Distributors

• Celluloid Dreams (2003) (worldwide) (all media) (sales)
• Diaphana Films (2003) (France) (theatrical)
• France Télévision Distribution (2004) (France) (DVD) (special edition)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD) (VHS)
• Bright Angel Distribution (2003) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Casablanca Filmes (2004) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Casablanca Filmes (2004) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Concorde Filmverleih (2004) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Concorde Home Entertainment (2004) (Germany) (DVD) (retail)
• DeA Planeta Home Entertainment (2004) (Spain) (DVD)
• EuroVideo (2004) (Germany) (DVD) (rental)
• Frenetic Films (2003) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Klock Worx Company, The (2004) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Metro Film (2005) (Yugoslavia) (DVD)
• Metro Tartan Distribution Ltd. (2003) (UK) (theatrical)
• Mikado (2003) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Quasar Films (2004) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2003) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2004) (Finland) (DVD)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2004) (Finland) (VHS)
• Slovenska Kinoteka (2004) (Slovenia)
• Sony Pictures Classics (2003) (USA) (theatrical) (dubbed)
• Tartan Films (UK) (DVD)
• Transeuropa Video Entertainment (TVE) (2005) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Transeuropa Video Entertainment (TVE) (2005) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (Switzerland) (DVD)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (2007) (Finland) (TV) (TV1)

Other Companies

• Falco Ink.  award campaign

Also Known As:

The Triplets of Belleville (International: English title) (USA)
Belleville Rendez-Vous (UK)
Bienvenidos a Belleville (International: Spanish title) (Spain) [es]
Appuntamento a Belleville (Italy) [it]
As Bicicletas de Belleville (Brazil) [pt]
Belleville'de randevu (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Bellevillen kolmoset (Finland) [fi]
Das große Rennen von Belleville (Germany) [de]
Las trillizas de Belleville (Argentina) [es]
To trio tis Belleville (Greece) [el]
Trillingarna från Belleville (Finland: Swedish title) [sv]
Trillingerne fra Belleville (Denmark) [da]
Trio z Belleville (Poland) [pl]
Trion från Belleville (Sweden) [sv]

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for images involving sensuality, violence and crude humor.

Runtime:

Argentina:80 min (Buenos Aires Festival Internacional de Cine Independiente) | Canada:78 min

Country:

France | Belgium | Canada | UK

Language:

French | Portuguese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Switzerland:10 (canton of Zurich) | Malaysia:U | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Brazil:Livre | Chile:TE | Denmark:7 | Finland:K-7 | France:U | Germany:6 | Mexico:B15 | Netherlands:AL | Norway:7 | Peru:PT | Portugal:M/6 | Singapore:NC-16 | Sweden:Btl | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | UK:12A | USA:PG-13 | Iceland:L | Canada:G (Ontario)

Company:

Les Armateurs

Trivia:

Visible in their apartment are pictures of the Triplets with some period stars including Charles Chaplin, there's also a picture of the Triplets on the beach with Olive Oyl.

Goofs:

Continuity: Near the End, where the Triplets and Souza are going across the bay over the bridge, you see a ship passing under it into the harbour. However, when the Mafia goes over the edge into the funnel of the ship, It is leaving the harbour, not entering it.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Madame Souza: Is that it, then? Is it over, do you think? What have you got to say to Grandma?

Movie Connections:

Featured in A Woman in Winter (2005)

Soundtrack:

Mass in C minor, K427: Kyrie

Just Great

I found "The Triplets of Belleville" to be one of the most charming movies I've had the pleasure of seeing the last couple of years. This delightful movie follows the adventures of Madame Souza, her son, Champion, and their dog, Bruno.

Madame Souza recognizes that something is missing from Champion's life. His parents are, clearly, gone. All he has left from them is a picture of the pair of them on a bicycle. As she silently pieces together what Champion needs to be happy, she and he discover a new life as participants in the Tour de France - he as a competitor and her as his coach and trainer.

They live a life of quiet, simple joys until he is kidnapped, an event that leads to a trip to Belleville for all three. This fictional city will prove oddly familiar to most viewers. Here, Madame Souza is befriended by the titular characters - I will leave the "book report" style commenting here.

There are so many delights in this picture, but I am going to focus on my favorite character, Bruno the dog. I don't think I have ever seen a movie capture a real dog as well as this one does. We see him from a puppy, learn the event that leads him to hate trains, feel anxious for him when he paws at his bowl while the silly humans finish their own dinners, and fear for him when his canine instincts lead him to places of danger.

Throughout this all, Bruno is gloriously canine. He dreams of the things that are important to him, he sees the world as smells and images. He is awesome. Or, perhaps, she is awesome. Bruno is a male name, but many have suggested he is a she.

Anyhow, the other characters are great fun as well, but my heart belongs to this big fat dog. Even if I hadn't loved the rest of the movie (I did), I would recomend it for Bruno alone.