Movie Info
Movie Name: A Cat in Paris
Studio: Digit Anima
Genre(s): Animated/Family
Release Date(s): December 15, 2010
MPAA Rating: PG
Assassin’s Creed…Paris-style!
A young mute girl named Zoé whose father has been killed by the notorious gangster Victor Costa finds herself on an adventure when her wander cat spends evenings with a thief named Nico. Her mother Jeanne, as a member of the police, is hot on Victor’s trail, and Victor decides to silence her by going after Zoé. Saved by the Nico and her cat, Zoé finds herself traversing the rooftops of Paris trying to escape Victor’s clutches. Will Zoé rediscover her voice before it is too late?
Directed by Jean-Loup Felicioli and Alain Gagnol, A Cat in Paris (or the French title Une vie de chat aka A Cat’s Life) was an animated film that premiered at festivals before hitting the theaters. The movie received positive reviews and was nominated for Best Animated Feature (losing to Rango).
A girl and her thieving cat
A Cat in Paris is short and sweet. The movie is a light adventure with interesting animation, but a little more adult in subject at points than some of Disney’s films (hence the PG rating). It combines a nice traditional art style with some dynamic framing and cinematography.
The story of A Cat in Paris is quite forgettable. I almost feel like the story would have been better served if it toned down the “dead father” aspect of the story and just had Zoé’s mother after Victor (or even Nico). If they had done that, I think the picture would have made a better silent film with a nice accompanying soundtrack along the lines of Raymond Brigg’s stuff like The Snowman. The art is powerful enough that it could have made it on its own.
Proving the cats can be evil…they likes to watch people fall to their death!
The art of A Cat in Paris is fantastic. There is a real noir style to it and the fact that the characters are all damaged help add to the atmosphere of the Paris skyline. Many movies have ended with battles on Notre Dame Cathedral it seems (like The Three Musketeers and Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre-Dame), but A Cat in Paris seems to do it with so much style. It also then abruptly changes to a light and happy Paris for a Christmas ending.
I love traditional animated movies. I generally think that they have more heart and punch than many of the computer animated films out there. A Cat in Paris no different. With a running time slightly over an hour, taking a chance and seeking it out isn’t that big of a commitment…It is a worthwhile venture to explore the rooftops of Paris for an evening with the family.
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