Lucky you! It's time for the rant-o-riffic second annual(?) movie review. In today's installment:

The Godfather: Ok, so it took me 30 years to get around to seeing this classic. What's to say that hasn't been said elsewhere. It was good. Would I call it the best movie ever made? No. Maybe I need to see it a few more times to get the full vibe. But I enjoyed it. It was long as hell. And slow. And for whatever reason, it had screaming kids/babies on screen for at least 25% of the movie. And I had to rewind repeatedly to try and figure out what the hell that marble-mouthed Brando was yammering on about. But it's a classic, and gets the rant-o-riffic seal of approval.

The Triplets of Bellville: Uh. Oh my. Where to start. This is an animated, dialogue-free (that's right, kids, no real dialogue for 99% of the film), French film with cycling and the Tour de France (in the early 20th century) as it's central theme. Not that there's much linear about this movie. If I were to try and describe it in things you, gentile reader, may be familiar with, I'd have to say it's 80% Pink Floyd's "The Wall" (without the rock-n-roll), 10% Breaking away, and 10% a performance by STOMP. Add in some freaky characters, pretty cool animation techniques, and an old woman who goes frog hunting with WWI german hand gernades, and you start to get a feel for it. I've had less weird acid trips.

As best I can tell, the plot is that a club-footed grandmother encourages her young grandson to start biking. Jump ahead years and she's helping to train him for the Tour (using a whistel to blow a cadence, which is pretty funny overall). While racing in the tour, the grandson and two other riders are kidnapped and taken somewhere by boat (the US?). Grandma and the family dog (which she often rides like a horse) set off to the recue. Strangeness ensues.

So. Would I recommend it? Not for your average humans. Cyclists might be able to endure it. Hardcore animation fans would probably love it for it's style (it really looks cool). And people on acid woulnd't be able to tear their eyes away (or they'd tear their eyes out, depending on the mood of thier trip). But for my average, unassuming, normal fans, I think it's a little weird. Ok. A whole f*cking lot weird.