Incroiable!

**Duck on Wheels** · 01-04-2007, 12:57 PM

I just saw the most fantastically absurdly funny animated film about the Tour de France, and a French mafia using a fake SAG wagon to kidnap cyclists and smuggle them to New York to power a mechanical racing machine in an illegal betting scam. There's a little old lady, a fat dog, and aging triplets who save the day using a pedal boat and a frying pan. I only saw about half the film. Stumbled over it while surfing channels. Now I'll have to look up the program to find the title. You just HAVE to see this movie if you ever get the chance! .... OK. Here it is. The title, translated to English from the Norwegian translation from the French original (for what it's worth) is "The Triplets from Belleville". It's from 2003. Do your best to find a way to see it!!! It's hillarious!

**five one** · 01-04-2007, 01:02 PM

I've seen it and thought it was great. Loved the animated caricature of the TdF rider - all thigh and calf, no upper body to speak of. Worth checking out.

**mimitabby** · 01-04-2007, 01:09 PM

Originally Posted by Duck on Wheels

I just saw the most fantastically absurdly funny animated film about the Tour de France, and a French mafia using a fake SAG wagon to kidnap cyclists and smuggle them to New York to power a mechanical racing machine in an illegal betting scam. There's a little old lady, a fat dog, and aging triplets who save the day using a pedal boat and a frying pan. I only saw about half the film. Stumbled over it while surfing channels. Now I'll have to look up the program to find the title. You just HAVE to see this movie if you ever get the chance! .... OK. Here it is. The title, translated to English from the Norwegian translation from the French original (for what it's worth) is "The Triplets from Belleville". It's from 2003. Do your best to find a way to see it!!! It's hillarious!

The Triplets from Belleville

frog soup anyone? we loved this movie, in fact, we watched it for the 3rd time this weekend.

**bcipam** · 01-04-2007, 01:10 PM

Duck, lordly girl are you the last one to see this movie? I saw it in the theater - it was actually nominated for an acamdemy awards int eh best animation category - but didn't win. Darn. I love the music. And my friends and I always laugh about the "broom wagon" scenes - I'm that rider sucking wind on a climb!

**Duck on Wheels** · 01-04-2007, 01:10 PM

OK. A bit more info. I'll translate:

Three aging varieté singers are still a success. Champion is adopted by his grandmother, Madame Zouza, a feisty old lady with a clumpfoot and an iron will. She discovers that the boy is only happy when cycling and lets him train hard. After some years he's ready for all cyclists' piece de resistance, the Tour de France. But he is brutally interrupted by black-clad kidnappers with pistols. Soon Champion is on his way over the ocean to the big city, Belleville. There the French mafia makes big money from his cycling talent. But Madame Zouza follows the trail with her faithful dog Bruno.

The film was nominated for two Oscars -- best animated film and best song.

Original title: Belleville rendez-vous
Director: Sylvain Chomet
With: Michéle Caucheteux, Jean-Claude Donda, Michel Robin and Monica Viegas.

**Duck on Wheels** · 01-04-2007, 01:12 PM

Originally Posted by mimitabby

frog soup anyone? we loved this movie, in fact, we watched it for the 3rd time this weekend.

Or tadpole popcorn? Or frogcicles? Yummmm!

Yep. Guess I'm late with this one. Sometimes movies come late to Norway.

**SouthernBelle** · 01-04-2007, 01:17 PM

This movie won one or 2 oscars. It has a cute website too.

http://www.sonyclassics.com/triplets/#

BTW, what channel is carrying it?

**mimitabby** · 01-04-2007, 01:20 PM

Her name is Madame Zouza?? That old gal really won my heart! She was so cute while she was waiting for food at the triplet's house. She and her dog, sitting there, starved, patient.

**Duck on Wheels** · 01-04-2007, 01:27 PM

Originally Posted by SouthernBelle

This movie won one or 2 oscars. It has a cute website too.

http://www.sonyclassics.com/triplets/#

BTW, what channel is carrying it?

NRK 2 -- Norwegian television's highbrow channel.
Thanks for the URL!

**7rider** · 01-04-2007, 05:08 PM

DH and I LOVE this movie!!
What a classic.
One of our favorite bits is grandma who holds on to Champion's bike with an umbrella handle and follows behind him on his bike, pacing him with her whistle. We've both adopted that whistle when riding - particularly up grueling hills!
Ahhhh....
I wish I could find it on DVD in a store so we can add it it to our "library". I'll have to keep my eyes peeled for it next time we're out and about.

**KayTee** · 01-04-2007, 05:20 PM

It's available at Amazon if nowhere else. And it did snag the Oscar that year for best song. I love this film and kid DH that the poor guy looks just like Champion!

**MomOnBike** · 01-05-2007, 06:38 AM

Actually, no, it didn't get the Oscar for Best Song (DRAT!)

That went to the Lord of the Rings. All the Oscars went to LOTR that year. I was not pleased.

Ah well, life goes on.

I did like the details in Triplettes. The bicycle wallpaper, for instance. Or the increasingly frayed appearance of everyone supporting the Tour.

We may have to pull that movie out again tonight.

**SouthernBelle** · 01-05-2007, 09:53 AM

If anybody ever spots it on a US channel, let us know.

**Meaux** · 01-05-2007, 02:36 PM

LOVE that movie!!! The animated cyclists looked a lot like the real cyclists in the TdF. And that dog!!!!

**jobob** · 01-05-2007, 08:21 PM

Triplets of Belleville is one of the very few movies I actually own on DVD.

Finding Nemo won the best animated film that year. I will never forgive Nemo for that.

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