Belleville Rendez-vous
2003
In this animated French film, a boy named Champion trains relentlessly for the Tour de France, with the help of his loyal grandmother and overweight dog, Bruno (who loves to bark at passing trains). When the big race comes, Champion and a few of his fellow racers are kidnapped by some thugs who spirit them off to Belleville (a .. Read more
| Director | Sylvain Chomet |
|---|---|
| Run time | 78 mins |
| Genres | Animated, Comedy, World Cinema |
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Critics' reviews (3)
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This animated adventure from Sylvain Chomet is a graphic delight and a triumph of invention. Effortlessly combining slapstick, character quirk and nostalgia, it follows a club-footed grandmother and her pudgy mutt across the Atlantic as they attempt to rescue the cyclist grandson who has been kidnapped from the Tour de France by two sinister gangsters. Splendid set pieces abound, including the newsreel opening (featuring such greats as Charles Trenet, Fred Astaire and Josephine Baker), the ocean crossing, dinner with the derelict Belleville triplets and the climactic chase. There's the occasional longueur, but the wealth of throwaway gags and passing homages give this ambitious entertainment a unique charm.
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The new century is shaping up to be a fine time for world animation, not least for child's eye features packed with... read more on Time Out
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Most helpful member's review
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27 out of 28 people found this review helpful
You'll never have seen anything like this before.
A stunning and unique film that combines both hand drawn and CGI animation to perfection. At no point in this film does the animation look 'rough' or 'sterile' (like many CGI efforts).
The film starts by introducing the main charaters :-
a small old lady with an oversize corrective shoe, a chubby boy with a secret passion for bicycles and a fat dog who barks at (and dreams about) trains.
Without giving too much away the story involves the kidnap of Tour de France cyclists, we are left guessing who would do this and why?
We are also introduced to the mysterious Triplets of Belleville who have a strange fetish for household objects....fridges, vacuum cleaners etc.
Mmmmmm confused? you won't be by the end.
What you get is a surreal almost-silent comedy with an excellent score, addictive storyline and perfect characterisation. -
Most recent members' review
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5 out of 5 people found this review helpful
Belleville Rendezvous
Most Disney animation films feature comedy in the form of a cute sidekick. A talking parrot, monkey or donkey is the usual favourite. Belleville Rendez-vous also takes the comic-companion route, manifested as Bruno, the overweight Bloodhound. However, the similarity with Disney ends there. For me, Bruno is the star of the show.
Although set primarily in the modernised Belleville (aka New York), the story begins in France. An orphan leads a dull existence with his Grandmother and Bruno, his only passion? Cycling. The plot spins into a rescue mission after the Grandson is abducted during the Tour De France by the French mafia. He is then taken across the Atlantic for indentured servitude on a peculiar illegal gambling/cycling contraption.
Although the movie does rely heavily on slapstick and borrowed jokes (I spotted one from Crocodile Dundee) there's not a whisper of Jeremy Beadle about this one. The entire production sweats cynicism. Bulging eyes, grossly exaggerated body shapes, and eerie sound effects (no, the aliens haven't landed). Just don't consume any dairy products before you go to bed. Belleville might just give you nightmares.
Anyone who liked Amelie or the cripplingly dark Delicatessen will be intrigued by this cartoon. And for those afraid of foreign dialogue, you need not worry, what little spoken word there is, is all in Franglais.
Unlike the Tour de France the movie is a bearable 76 minutes, which, given the genre of the film, is just about right. Tres bien. -
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