> REVIEW
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A Cat In Paris (2010)
A Parisian adventure…
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By Helen Adkins | April 2012
DIRECTOR(s): Jean-Loup Felicioli/Alain Gagnol
WRITER(s): Alain Gagnol/Jacques-Rémy Girerd
Following in the footsteps of such animated French classics as Persepolis (2007) and The Triplets of Belleville (2003), Oscar nominated, A Cat in Paris is a sweet and attractive film, with dazzling artwork that comes as a refreshing change to Hollywood’s frenetic animated offerings of recent years.
Directed by Jean-Loup Felicioli and Alain Gagnol, this traditional fable may lack in surprise and angles but excels in the visual stakes. Each frame lovingly hand-drawn, with characters resembling Modigliani figures and the atmosphere of a romantic Parisian summer’s night with its rooftops and skyline superbly achieved.
The somewhat run of the mill cops and robbers tale deals with the life of a young girl Zoé (Oriane Zani) who has been struck dumb after the death of her policeman father at the hands of evil crime boss Victor Costa (Jean Benguigui). Now Costa is planning a daring heist, which Zoé ’s hard-working, haunted mother Jeanne (Dominique Blanc), also a police investigator, must foil.
Meanwhile, at night Zoé’s loyal cat, Dino, helps out a local cat burglar, the suave Nico (Bruno Salomone) who soon finds himself entangled in the plot to bring down Costa when the feline brings the two of them together through a set of exhilarating chase sequences.
The film effortlessly balances the thrills with the laughs offering up some amusing scenes for children, including mildly slapstick humour involving Costa’s clueless gang, and coming in at just over an hour, it never outstays its welcome.
Script…………………………………………………………………………………………….
Gagnol and Rémy Girerd’s beautifully paced one-hour fable is simplistic yet
effective. 3
Direction………………………………………………………………………………………..
Beautiful, detailed artwork crafted with care, attention and innovation. A visual
treat. 4
Verdict…………………………………………………………………………………………..
A whimsical cops and robbers tale, set against the romantic backdrop of Paris
that will delight children and adults alike. 3
