Eye For Film >> Movies >> Belleville Rendez-Vous (2002) Film Review
Belleville Rendez-Vous is an engaging, original Europudding cartoon, animated in the classical style, without the sugar of Disney, which is entertaining from start to finish.
Champion lives with his club-footed Grandma somewhere in France. They have a faithful hound, Bruno, who barks at the trains, which roar past the house every hour of the day.
He develops a love of cycling, which Granny decides to cultivate, albeit with unorthodox methods. They practice in the town, with Champion cycling the streets to the peep of Gran's whistle, while Bruno spends the evenings climbing up and down stairs to bark at the trains and waiting for his bowl to be filled.
The day of Champion's big race dawns, but, despite Gran being with him, things don't go to plan. They haven't reckoned with the intervention of the French wine Mafia, who kidnap the kid for nefarious purposes.
Thus, Gran takes up pursuit in a journey that sees her enlist support from the unlikeliest quarters and consume frogs in ways you wish weren't even imaginable.
This is quirky and quick-witted. You should queue to see it.
Reviewed on: 15 Aug 2003