« Bubba Ho-tep | Main | The Triplets of Belleville »
February 09, 2004
Get-Together with Friends, Teaism, and Movie
I met up with my friends Jen and Peter from LA on Saturday in downtown DC. We went to Teaism for dinner, and then, in an act of spontaneity, decided to go to a screening of The Triplets of Belleville at the E Street Landmark Theatre. I thought this film would be worth seeing for the following reason - there is very little in the way of dialogue. It's not that I have anything against more verbose films, it's just that a lack of dialogue is like a breath of fresh air.
The Triplets of Belleville was quite delightful to watch. The premise of the story is that a young boy who lives with his grandmother wants to be a cyclist and compete in the equivalent of the Tour de France. His spunky grandma helps her grandson make that dream a reality by literally being his drill sargent. The boy has a dog as well. The dog is completely obsessed with trains. The boy grows up to compete in the big cycling competition, and ends up being kidnapped for a sinister French mafia gambling scheme. Needless to say, Grandma comes to the rescue, along with the dog. The namesakes of the movie, The Triplets of Belleville, play a large role in this rescue mission. One of the more interesting features of this film is the way some of the characters are actually animals that kind of look like humans. The story is captivating, and the songs are catchy, so anyone who has the time should definitely check it out.
A special feature that was screened before The Triplets of Belleville was Destino. Destino was a collaborative project between Salvatore Dali and Walt Disney in 1946. In a nutshell, Destino is a love story told in a very surreal environment. I recognized Salvatore Dali's influence right away. This feature is only about ten minutes long, but is was like being in a dream.
Posted by Kathy at February 9, 2004 01:05 PM