With all the attention heaped on the animated blockbuster Finding Nemo, you may have missed The Triplets of Belleville. The quirky Franco-Canadian-Belgian feature is drawing raves from critics and is up for two Oscars, one for best animation and one for best original song.
The lead character, Madame Souza, is a short, sturdy woman with a clubfoot. She lives with her lonely grandson Champion and an overweight dog named Bruno. The convoluted plot involves the Tour de France bicycle race and a run-in with the French mafia. Madame Souza eventually crosses the Atlantic with Bruno to rescue her kidnapped grandson, aided by the singing Triplets of the title.
NPR's Elizabeth Blair talks to the film's creators about how Benoit Charest's music inspired Sylvain Chomet's distinctive animation style. "When we heard this music, it was so inspiring for the animators," Chomet says. "There was a lot of Ben's own madness into the triplets."
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