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The Rabbi's Cat

Original title: Le chat du rabbin
  • 2011
  • Not Rated
  • 1h 40m
IMDb RATING
7.1/10
3.6K
YOUR RATING
The Rabbi's Cat (2011)
Watch Trailer
Play trailer1:40
1 Video
20 Photos
AnimationComedyFantasy

Set in Algeria in the 1920s, a rabbi's cat who learns how to speak after swallowing the family parrot expresses his desire to convert to Judaism.Set in Algeria in the 1920s, a rabbi's cat who learns how to speak after swallowing the family parrot expresses his desire to convert to Judaism.Set in Algeria in the 1920s, a rabbi's cat who learns how to speak after swallowing the family parrot expresses his desire to convert to Judaism.

  • Directors
    • Antoine Delesvaux
    • Joann Sfar
  • Writers
    • Sandrina Jardel
    • Joann Sfar
  • Stars
    • Mathieu Amalric
    • Hafsia Herzi
    • François Damiens
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    7.1/10
    3.6K
    YOUR RATING
    • Directors
      • Antoine Delesvaux
      • Joann Sfar
    • Writers
      • Sandrina Jardel
      • Joann Sfar
    • Stars
      • Mathieu Amalric
      • Hafsia Herzi
      • François Damiens
    • 8User reviews
    • 31Critic reviews
    • 74Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 3 wins & 4 nominations

    Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 1:40
    Watch Trailer

    Photos20

    The Rabbi's Cat (2011)
    The Rabbi's Cat (2011)
    The Rabbi's Cat (2011)
    The Rabbi's Cat (2011)
    The Rabbi's Cat (2011)
    The Rabbi's Cat (2011)
    The Rabbi's Cat (2011)
    The Rabbi's Cat (2011)
    The Rabbi's Cat (2011)
    The Rabbi's Cat (2011)
    The Rabbi's Cat (2011)
    The Rabbi's Cat (2011)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Mathieu Amalric
    Mathieu Amalric
    • Le prince
    • (voice)
    Hafsia Herzi
    Hafsia Herzi
    • La fille du rabbin
    • (voice)
    François Damiens
    François Damiens
    • Le reporter
    • (voice)
    Eric Elmosnino
    Eric Elmosnino
    • Le professeur Soliman
    • (voice)
    Karina Testa
    Karina Testa
    • Une copine de Zlabya
    • (voice)
    Mohamed Fellag
    Mohamed Fellag
    • Le cheik Mohammed Sfar
    • (voice)
    Jean-Pierre Kalfon
    Jean-Pierre Kalfon
    • Le malka des lions
    • (voice)
    Joann Sfar
    • Le juif de la malle
    • (voice)
    François Morel
    François Morel
    • Le chat du rabbin
    • (voice)
    Wojciech Pszoniak
    Wojciech Pszoniak
    • Vastenov
    • (voice)
    • (as Wojtek Pszoniak)
    Daniel Cohen
    • Le rabbin du rabbin
    • (voice)
    Olivier Broche
    • Le perroquet
    • (voice)
    Maurice Bénichou
    Maurice Bénichou
    • Le rabbin
    • (voice)
    Alice Houri
    Alice Houri
    • Knidelette
    • (voice)
    Sava Lolov
    • Le peintre russe
    • (voice)
    Pascal N'Zonzi
    • Le premier géant
    • (voice)
    Djanis Bouzyani
    • Le disciple
    • (voice)
    Jean-Claude Frissung
    • Le curé
    • (voice)
    • Directors
      • Antoine Delesvaux
      • Joann Sfar
    • Writers
      • Sandrina Jardel
      • Joann Sfar
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      French visa #119442 delivered on 9-5-2011.
    • Goofs
      When they are prepping Vastenov's Citroën for the road trip, the Russian winds up painting a combined symbol representing both Russia and Jerusalem. However, you can see this symbol already painted on the Citroën when the titular Rabbi is first checking out the vehicle in Vastenov's garage.
    • Connections
      Features The Adventures of Tintin (1991)

    User reviews8

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    5/10
    A Nutshell Review: The Rabbi's Cat
    Winner of this year's Cesar Awards for Best Animated Film, The Rabbi's Cat directed by Joann Sfar and Antoine Delesvaux is based on a comic series by Sfar, which made the narrative seem a little bit too choppy as it sprawls from a focused introduction, to something of a wandering road trip for the second half of the film that didn't seem to have a point other than to drag it out beyond its welcome. Sure it had enough comedy and quirkiness thanks to the titular cat, but alas repetition doesn't serve it well when issues and comical moments get recycled.

    The animation of course is gorgeous to look at given that it's something different from the usual Hollywood studio products, and hand drawn rather than something polished off a computer, or dabbling with the 3D gimmick (though I read elsewhere that there was a 3D version overseas, which is strange given the lack of usual 3D styled visuals). The cat itself requires a little getting used to for the way it's designed and drawn, looking quite unlike any cat you've seen, with its elongated facial features and an extremely long tail.

    We follow the adventures of the titular cat, who got his speaking voice (by Francois Morel) thanks to an envy and fatal attack which we don't really get to see, against the parrot of his mistress Zlabya (Hafsia Herzi), the voluptuous daughter of the rabbi Sfar (Maurice Benichou), an easy going religious man. He speaks, to the surprise of his owners, and soon declares that he wants to be a Jew, and to complete the bar mitzvah, in order to get Sfar's approval to remain by Zlabya's side (he has the hots for her you see), instead of being chased away as a monstrosity with his new found voice, akin to being the work of the devil.

    Much of the narrative for the first half of the film could be seen as an open discussion between religions such as Judaism, Islam and Christianity, set in 1920s Algeria where there's a clash of cultures with the French, as well as the highlighted differences between the various religions, factions and groups that co-existed at the time. One would need to be sensitive of Algeria in that era in order to milk the most of out this picture, given the lack of background focus as it jumps directly into discussions assuming one would be knowledgeable of the issues of the time.

    But even if you're not, then the second half's road trip is probably where you can still follow, where a whole host of characters got introduced, such as an Arabic Sheik of the desert (Mathieu Amalric) with whom the rabbi, his cat and their entourage got into a tangle with, a Russian painter and an African girl that they pick up, and a surprisingly little episode involving a famous Belgian reporter and his dog. It's all downhill from there in their quest to find utopia, as the narrative meanders in too episodic a fashion without an end in sight, leaving things quite open ended in its finale perhaps promising of more adventures to come, but is probably a cliffhanger just like chapters in the comic books.
    helpful•18
    17
    • DICK STEEL
    • Apr 10, 2012

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • June 1, 2011 (France)
    • Country of origin
      • France
    • Official sites
      • Official Facebook (France)
      • Official site (France)
    • Languages
      • French
      • Russian
      • Hebrew
    • Also known as
      • El gato del rabino
    • Production companies
      • Autochenille Production
      • TF1 Droits Audiovisuels
      • France 3 Cinéma
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • €12,500,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $23,392
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $4,301
      • Dec 9, 2012
    • Gross worldwide
      • $4,208,573
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 40 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • DTS
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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