Une vie de chat (2010)

In Paris, a cat who lives a secret life as a cat burglar's aide must come to the rescue of Zoe, the little girl he lives with, after she falls into a gangster's clutches.

Directors:

Jean-Loup Felicioli, Alain Gagnol

Writers:

Alain Gagnol (screenplay), Jacques-Rémy Girerd (dialogue)

Stars:

Dominique Blanc, Bernadette Lafont, Bruno Salomone

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 1 win & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dominique Blanc	...	Jeanne (voice)
Bernadette Lafont	...	Claudine (voice)
Bruno Salomone	...	Nico (voice)
Jean Benguigui	...	Victor Costa (voice)
Oriane Zani	...	Zoé (voice)
Bernard Bouillon	...	Lucas (voice)
Jacques Ramade	...	Monsieur Bébé (voice)
Jean-Pierre Yvars	...	Monsieur Hulot (voice)
Patrick Ridremont	...	Monsieur Grenouille (voice)
Patrick Descamps	...	Monsieur Patate (voice)
Yves Barbaut	...	Garde 1 / Gardien Zoo (voice)
Line Wiblé	...	Vieille Dame (voice)
JB Blanc	...	Victor Costa (voice)
Steve Blum	...	Nico (voice)
Marcia Gay Harden	...	Jeanne (voice)

Storyline

Dino is a cat that leads a double life. By day, he lives with Zoe, a little girl whose mother, Jeanne, is a police officer. By night, he works with Nico, a burglar with a big heart. Zoe has plunged herself into silence following her father's murder at the hands of gangster Costa. One day, Dino the cat brings Zoe a very valuable bracelet. Lucas, Jeanne's second-in-command, notices this bracelet is part of a jewelery collection that has been stolen. One night, Zoe decides to follow Dino. On the way, she overhears some gangsters and discovers that her nanny is part of the gangsters' team.

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Plot Keywords:

mute girl | policewoman | cat movie | cat burglar | child pet relationship | 

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Taglines:

By Day Child's Pet, By Night Dangerous Thief.

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Genres:

Animation | Adventure | Comedy | Crime | Family

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for mild violence and action, and some thematic material

Details

Official Sites:

Folimage [France] Official Facebook [United States]

Country:

France Belgium

Language:

French

Release Date:

15 December 2010 (France)

Also Known As:

En katt i Paris

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

€418,885 (France), 19 December 2010, Limited Release

Opening Weekend USA:

$34,554, 3 June 2012, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$309,973

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$2,080,634

Company Credits

Production Co:

Folimage,Centre du Cinéma et de l'Audiovisuel de la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles,Digit Anima

Technical Specs

Runtime:

70 min 75 min (DVD) 62 min (DVD)

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When code names are assigned, one of the men is called 'Monsieur Hulot' (or 'M. Hulot'). This is a reference to the character created by Jacques Tati.

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Crazy Credits

The end credits play over an animation of characters, action and backgrounds seen during the film proper. The major difference between this animation and the film is that this animation is black silhouettes on a blue background.

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Connections

Referenced in Estrenos Críticos: La Cosa (2011)

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Soundtracks

I Wished On The Moon (78 RPM Version)
Written by Dorothy Parker (as D. Parker) and Ralph Rainger (as R. Rainger)
Performed by Billie Holiday
(P) Originally Reciorded 1935 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
Courtesy of Sony Music Entertainment France

User Reviews

Cute Cat

Having most recently been seduced by Paris in The Artist and Midnight in Paris and before that in animation with The Illusionist and Triplets of Belleville, I was fully prepared to enjoy A Cat In Paris, a nominee for Best Animated Feature Oscar, worthy of the award even with competition like Chico & Rita. I was not disappointed.

This cute, un-Pixar thriller depicts a cat accompanying a cat-burglar at night over the rooftops of Paris and into apartments ripe for the plucking with his accomplice, Nico (Bruno Salomone voice). The owner of the crafty cat, Zoe (Oriane Zani), lives with her chief of Police mother Jeanne (Dominique Blanc), both of whom are still mourning the loss of dad/husband at the hands of arch-villain Victor Costa (Jean Benguigui). The plot does not make this a memorable cartoon; it's the whimsical slit-eyed, long-nosed eccentrics who inhabit the flat pastel world, slim on speech and graceful even when they're thugs. It's a fantasy of our imagination, what we dream Paris would be like in a better world, even with burglars and mobsters.

An interesting touch is to make the cat tough rather than tender and Zoe mute for the shock of her father's death. The tonal shifts between that darkness and then silly thugs and a sweet cat burglar, who doesn't seem to be punished for his crime, will make this a problematic choice for kids, who might not get it. Parents may find it difficult to decide if this is a thriller or a comedy as well.

For me, it's just the exotic world of Paris in my imagination. Nothing beats swinging over the rooftops at anytime with anyone, even a mischievous cat.