Les Triplettes de Belleville

3 out of 5 snowstones A cute old lady trains her son for the Tour de France for years, only to see him abducted by gangsters. They use him in cycling contests in the fictional city of Belleville. Mom, with unwavering persistence, catches up with him and rescues him in (probably) the slowest chase scene in cinema history. The animation uses CGI subtly enough not to annoy, and has a smoky, dark atmosphere all its own. The strange, funny details reminded me of "Amélie Poulain", but the slow pace and quietness are more like the best of Jacques Tati. In short, a very French movie.