Thumbs Up:
I recently saw the film, "Les Triplettes de Belleville." Created in 2003, it's almost a completely silent film opens up a world of surreal french animation that you can't keep your mind off. I watched it almost a week ago and I still find myself dreaming about it. Each character has dimension despite the lack of dialog, but it doesn't need subtitles to tell the simple yet, intense story.
Its about an orphaned little french boy, whose gift of a tricycle gets him started off on an obsession with cycle-racing. His grandmother, Madame Souza, relentlessly trains him until he reaches the Tour de France. In the process of the race, he is kidnapped by a mysterious gang of crooks and taken across the Atlantic to a metropolis called Belleville. His grandma and his trusty and loveable dog Bruno race after him only to find themselves lost and confused in the darkness of an unknown city. The two end up falling in with the infamous Triplets of Belleville, whom in their hay-day were a large scale, close harmony act. But with age have grown bizzare and and batty. They slowly learn that their champion is being held up by the mafia godfather himself and will go to all lengths to get him back. I would recommend this film to anyone, especially those inflicted with a hangover.
Thumbs Down...
Purgatory Pizza: 3415 N. Clark St. Chicago IL
The name itself if off-putting. And I found the interior to be poorly designed with a tiny bar in the back corner or the restaurant, few tables, and an awkward amount of unused open space near the entrance. Creating a weird ambiance to eat a mediocre pizza. There are loosely painted red and orange flames on the wall extending to a light blue cloud painted ceiling. I feel like that's a really odd theme to create a dinning establishment with. And one of the most puzzling elements of the place is its slogan. "If you don't like our pizza.. you can go to hell!" Now is that really the way to draw customers in? I think this establishment needs to rethink their image and their pizzas.
