In Brief: The specters of Max Fleischer, Tex Avery, Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Jacques Tati hang heavily over Triplets (there’s even a poster for Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday on the wall of an apartment); it’s the mixing of these elements that’s unique, and clearly Chomet’s vision. The director doesn’t merely copy his inspirations; he creates his own takes on them. Whether you’ll actually accept it on those terms is definitely a question of personal taste, but I doubt anyone will walk away from Triplets and not think they’ve really seen something different for a change. As a side-note to those of you who are allergic to subtitles, cheer up: There’s not a single one in sight; the story is told almost entirely in visuals and sound effects. What little intelligible dialogue the film contains — no more than a few lines — has been dubbed into English. This excerpt was taken from a review by Ken Hanke published on March 17, 2004.
Classic World Cinema by Courtyard Gallery will present The Triplets of Belleville on Friday, Nov. 17, at 8 p.m. at Flood Gallery Fine Art Center, 2160 U.S. 70, Swannanoa.