The Old Lady and the Pigeons (1997)

In seductive central Paris, an undernourished gendarme willing to go to great lengths to get himself fed, hatches a desperate, yet utterly cunning plan.

Director:

Sylvain Chomet

Writers:

Sylvain Chomet (scenario), David Freedman (dialogue)

Stars:

James Pidgeon, Michoue Sylvain, Andrea Usher-Jones

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 9 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
James Pidgeon	...	(voice) (as Jim Pidgeon)
Michoue Sylvain	...	(voice)
Andrea Usher-Jones	...	(voice)

Storyline

In seductive central Paris, amidst American noisy tourists, an undernourished gendarme unexpectedly stumbles across a sweet elderly woman feeding flocks of pigeons in the park with out-of-the-ordinary table scraps. As a result, it won't take long before the emaciated and starving officer hatches a desperate, yet utterly cunning plan to trick the merciful unsuspecting lady into letting him take part in the feasts, willing to go to great lengths to get himself fed. But where does the need for survival end, and where does greed begin? As the lucky police officer gets fatter by the day, soon, he will realise that moderation is golden.

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Plot Keywords:

pigeon | old lady | starving | gendarme | old woman | 

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Genres:

Animation | Short | Comedy

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Details

Country:

Canada France Belgium UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 May 1998 (France)

Also Known As:

The Old Lady and the Pigeons

Company Credits

Production Co:

Les Productions Pascal Blais,Les Armateurs,Club d'Investissement Média

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Connections

Featured in Visionado obligado: Bienvenidos a Belleville (2012)

User Reviews

Something in a league of it's own

I'm not sure why, but this short piece was powerful enough to resonate with me on so many levels. It must have been the hungry gendarme, who so desperately was in need to get feed. The story line is something more or less grotesque in nature but what touched me the most in this "weirdly appealing" film was the character development. From the first moment the gendarme appears on the tourists' camera shots, you know you want to get to know this strange guy more and more. Well, of course it demands a terrible amount of talent and skill to be able to animate a cartoon character so human-like and impressive but this film seems to be backed up by a group of genius creators. Some scenes and sequences prove the animators have really let their imagination go wild and even though the film's run-time may exceed the normal amount expected from a short piece, you'll enjoy every single frame of it. Those familiar with Chomet and his distinguished style, know that it's really hit or miss with him and as long as you're not looking for vain sentiment in a film, then this piece is definitely for you.