Review of The Triplets of Belleville (2003) by Ricky V — 14 Jul 2008

Sylvian Chomet's brilliant film about a grandmother's quest to find her kidnapped grandson amidst the lurid underbelly of New York's gambling ring might leave more than a few American viewers scratching their heads wondering if they've missed something, and in truth, they have.

Fairy tales shouldn't be normal or predictable and in the best moments toss logic right out the window. This gorgeously animated feature has more character than 20 average American films put together and a plot so full of unusual twists that anyone with a sense of imagination and appreciation for the absurd is sublimely content just to go along for the ride.

Chomet magically channels the best of silent film pantomime and fuses it with a stylized look that seems inspired by the stuff of 60s Disney features with a modern flair that places it on a visual pedestal all its own.

With stuff like this coming from the small, independent animation studios, the giants like Disney and Dreamworks should be the ones scratching their noodles and asking why they've left the really groudbreaking stuff to the underdogs.