Une Vie de Chat (2010)

Directed by Jean-Loup Felicioli & Alain Gagnol. Starring (voices) Dominique Blanc, Jean Benguigui, Bernard Bouillon, Bruno Salomone, Bernadette Lafont, Jacques Ramade, Patrick Ridremont, Jean-Pierre Yvars, Patrick Descamps, Oriane Zani. [PG]

A young Parisian girl cares for a black cat who disappears into the city every night, living a “second life” as a companion for a cat burglar. One evening, the girl follows the cat and stumbles into a web of danger that makes her the target of a ruthless criminal and his slow-witted goons. A brisk and engaging animated movie, one which comes and goes without much fanfare or lasting impression, featuring a retro drawing style that won’t appeal to all viewers, yet offers a stylized elegance calling to mind certain shorts and title animations from the likes of Friz Freleng and Saul Bass. A bit too slim for its own good—without the credits, the pic wouldn’t even be feature-length—and the writing is inhibited by a few too many conveniences (the little girl’s inability to speak is purely a plot device so she can’t straighten out misunderstandings at critical junctures) and instances of unexplained character behavior (the cat burglar just immediately becomes the girl’s protectorate and his crimes are all but forgotten later on?). The melding of light comedy and edgy danger, however, works in the moment, creating a disposably charming fable, one which even managed to score an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature (it was a lesser year for the art form in full-length motion pictures). The English-language version features voice dubs from the likes of Anjelica Huston, Marcia Gay Harden, and Matthew Modine, and is called A Cat in Paris…even though the original title translates to “a cat’s life”.

67/100