When the Cat's Away (1996)

Chloe, a young woman, is going on holidays. She entrusts her beloved cat to Madame Renée's care. But one day Madame Renée (an old lady of the neighborhood) can not find the cat. Chloe ... See full summary »

Director:

Cédric Klapisch

Writer:

Cédric Klapisch

Stars:

Garance Clavel, Zinedine Soualem, Renée Le Calm

1 win & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Garance Clavel	...	Chloé
Zinedine Soualem	...	Djamel
Renée Le Calm	...	Madame Renée
Olivier Py	...	Michel
Arapimou	...	Gris Gris, le chat
Rambo	...	Rambo, le chat
Simon Abkarian	...	Carlos
Frédéric Aufray	...	Photographer
Olivier Barny	...	Un ouvrier ébéniste
Jane Bradbury	...	Un mannequin
Joël Brisse	...	Le peintre Bel Canto
Olympe Brugeille	...	Madame Brugeille
Franck Bussi	...	Mec aggressif
Marilyne Canto	...	La femme flic
Aline Chantal	...	Madame Doubrowsky

Storyline

Chloe, a young woman, is going on holidays. She entrusts her beloved cat to Madame Renée's care. But one day Madame Renée (an old lady of the neighborhood) can not find the cat. Chloe starts searching the neighborhood... This is the pretext for the exploration of a quarter of Paris and his inhabitants.

---

Plot Keywords:

missing cat | investigation | private investigation | long haired male | bare chested male | 

---

Taglines:

No man. No job. No cat.

---

Genres:

Comedy | Romance

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for a brief strong sex scene and some language

Details

Official Sites:

Sony Pictures Classics

Country:

France

Language:

French

Release Date:

20 June 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

When the Cat's Away

Filming Locations:

Paris, France

Box Office

Budget:

$300,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$1,474,628

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,474,628

Company Credits

Production Co:

Vertigo, France 2 Cinéma, Canal+

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Madame Renee: Men have let me down, but animals, never. Never!

---

Connections

Featured in At the Movies: Face/Off/Dream with the Fishes/Head Above Water/The Last Time I Committed Suicide/When the Cat's Away (1997)

---

Soundtracks

na hunter
Performed by Bushman
Written by Iremo Samiama droit réservés
(p) 1996 sankara/mercury
avec l'aimable autorisation de polygram projets spéciaux

User Reviews

Surprisingly interesting yet simple theme

A wonderful insight into the types of characters we might meet in a rundown part of Paris which has seen better days and which is being demolished to make way for new and modern buildings. In some respects it's like a documentary about the concerns of the local populace for Gris-gris, a missing black cat. I think all the characters are well portrayed as a network of searchers comb the whole area and maintain daily reports over the telephone. I think the old lady Renee is absolutely priceless, not only as the recognized cat-minder but as a person who is able to express an opinion on every conceivable subject about Parisian life and attitudes. The search for Gris-gris takes us across rooftops and down alleyways to no avail and we ourselves become totally involved in the cat's whereabouts and hope he has come to no harm. It's amazing that such a simple theme can maintain our interest for 90 minutes, but undoubtedly it's the authenticity of the characters that makes this film so enjoyable.