Customer Reviews

When the Cat's Away [VHS]

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

"When the Cat's Away," along with Eric Rohmer's "Summer," is one of the best movies about urban loneliness I've ever seen. As a resident of a Los Angeles apartment building in which I barely know people who live mere yards away, I can attest to the peculiar and ironic sense of alienation the heroine feels in her very crowded neighborhood. The director also nails a certain kind of funk that can happen in your late 20s, when bars and clubs are becoming boring, and the novelty of finally living on one's own has worn off. The movie makes a good case for simply getting out of your apartment and getting to know the people whom you have always just said a quick, impersonal "hello" to. The lead actress, who I've never seen before in a movie, is utterly charming and it's hard not to have a huge crush on her by the end of the film. The final shot of "When the Cat's Away," featuring perhaps the best use of a moving camera I've ever seen, is sublime. This film is another example of the saying that Americans make movies about how they wish people were, while the French make movies about the way people ARE.

I first saw this movie when I was living in Paris as an exchange student and couldn't stop laughing. My apartment was down the street from the bar where they all hung out, and this movie couldn't be a more accurate portrayal of life in the Bastille. From the Pause cafe, to the clubs on Rue de Lappe where getting hit on is a way of life, to the old lady whom I've actually seen in athe neighborhood a few times, Cedric Klapisch just gets it right. Not only that, but here is this really pretty, seemingly perfect French girl and you find out she's still lonely. Yay! If you are obsessed with real French culture, and not just the books and the romance of the Seine, rent this movie.

The haunting beauty of the crumbling 11th arrondissement of Paris is the perfect setting for this tale of loneliness. The washed out colors of the cinematography and serene beauty of Garance Clavel create a subtle water color painting of subdued longing and inner tragedy. I've never seen such a gentle film that had such compassion for its subjects. Perfect for a rainy afternoon full of the angst of a Portishead tune.

This movie's title lost a lot in the translation. The original title, "Chacun cherche son chat," literally translates to "Each is looking for his/her cat." Now, although the translators were undoubtedly trying to present an English title that somewhat conveys the same meaning but still represents a proverb (the French title is an extract from a tongue-twister), they completely did away with the connection between the title and the point of the movie. This movie is not just about a girl "looking for her cat" - in fact, she's looking for a lot more - a relationship, stability, friendship, comfort... What's more, everyone she meets along the way, from a vivacious group of old ladies to a mentally handicapped neighbor, is also looking for something similar; each has a void that needs to be filled - "Each is looking for his cat." See the metaphor? Now, the question is, do they find what they are looking for? See for yourself. Without a doubt, this is one of the best films I have seen; I definitely recommend it to anyone with taste. It is both humorous and (at times) poignant, and just goes to show that a quality movie can stem even from a seemingly banal concept. Excellent!

This is another study in realism from Cedric Klapisch, so real that it is impossible to say where the script ends and the fly-on-the-wall documentary takes over.The film traces a few days in the life of Chloe, a timorous, lonely, gawky young woman with soulful eyes, as she searches for her lost cat. The cat means a lot to her; it is the only thing in her life she has to love; whilst, at the same time, like all girls, she is yearning for something more; the love of a good man.

Chloe is played by Garance Clabel who gives a very endearing performance; you feel for her; you want to love and protect her. Are all those men out there so blind that they cannot see what a treasure she is? One does, and follows her around and will do anything for her, almost to the point of sacrificing his life for her. But he is only a poor brain-damaged young man and not able to inspire love in the heart of any woman. Chloe likes him and is kind to him but that is all. She, after many experiences along the way, eventually finds love and her cat, but he, poor man, will end his life alone. As he says at the end, when he witnesses Chloe's new found happiness; "Life is not fair." You can say that again.

This is a film about loneliness; loneliness in the poor inner-cities, where there is no sense of community and everyone is forced to live their lives in isolation, cut of from others and without any real friends. This is why so many people in the neighbourhood, hitherto complete strangers, are so willing to come together to search for Chloe's cat - because they are lonely and long for the company of others. And there are specific illustrations; the old woman who phones Chloe ostensibly to give her news about her cat, but who has no news; she just wants to talk to someone, to hear the sound of a human voice. And the lesbian barmaid who, when she makes a pass at Chloe and is rejected, walks off into the night with bowed head. And Chloe, who, in her desperation and misery, tries to seduce her homosexual flat-mate and fails.

It is a sad film but, thankfully, with a happy ending - for Chloe anyway. The French always have good endings to their films. In this case we see Chloe running joyfully, elated and full of energy, the whole length of the street. And she is still running when the film ends.

For the first time in three years, Chloe is going on holiday. After quite a search she finds a lady who will look after her cat. On her return she finds the Gris-Gris has gone missing. As we follow Chloe in her search for Gris-Gris, we see her neighborhood, the street life, the clubs, the denizens of the local bar, the old ladies who are only too happy to help search for a lost cat. We also see Chloe come out of her shell and open to new experiences and people. This was a delightful movie, full of charm and life.

Charming and unprepossessing. This story about a isolated young woman who loses her cat yet who connects for the first time with her surroundings (in the Bastille quartier) while searching for it is a small treat. The writer and director, Cedric Klaspich, has assembled a wonderful group of actors who convincingly create a neighborhood community. He also manages to connect his simple story to larger observations about Paris's recent urban development and its changing ethnic composition without losing his light touch. And Garance Clavel, as the young woman forced to come out of her shell, perfectly compliments this film's discreet style: she doesn't seem very attractive or interesting at first yet she quietly becomes more winning and lovelier as we get to know her. Clavel doesn't do anything big or overly dramatic but allows her character to emerge through the small details of her performance - and the same could be said of the film. All in all, a lovely and understated work. END

This is a wonderful film, which succeeds on so many levels. Garence Clabel stars as "Chloe", a young Parisian trying to make it in the hip world as a makeup artist on high fashion photoshoots. She is truly lonely as she haunts the "in" spots with their never-ending stream of shallow, empty people. At the same time, she is totally oblivious to her very ordinary, if diverse, neighbors in the working-class Parisian neighborhood where she lives. About to leave on a vacation, Chloe's roommate suddenly reneges on his promise to take care of her cat, "Gris-Gris", while she is gone. In desperation, she turns to an elderly neighborhood woman, recommended by one of her faceless neighbors, who agrees to watch her cat.
Alas, while Chloe is gone, Gris-Gris escapes. When she returns, she is horrified to find out that her one real companion in the world is missing, and she embarks upon a mission to find it. Of necessity, this causes Chloe to get to know her neighborhood and her neighbors, many of whom assist her in her search effort. As a result, she finally interacts with real, rather than vacuous, people and gets to know them. It is a voyage of discovery for Chloe, and, although there are bumps along the way, it turns into a very positive experience.
While Chloe's personal journey continues, the director also shows us, in a subtle, non-preachy way, how her neighborhood is changing, and threatened by, gentrification.
The ending of the movie is remarkable, and one I never tire of seeing.
This is the kind of movie that the French make better than anyone else: A small, seemingly-inconsequential story about an average, seemingly-inconsequential person, which writer-director Cedric Klapisch makes into an exquisite, tiny masterpiece.

A shy but lovely young French girl lives in Paris with her gay friend. He gets lucky often. She doesn't. She seldom meets anyone, and she has a relatively calm and inhibited life. She goes on vacation and leaves her beloved cat with an elderly neighbour lady. And this is when the cat goes missing. Over the ensuing weeks, the girl and her neighbours and friends assemble to search for the cat, but during this time her life begins to change. She begins to see herself differently and see the relationships around her differently. In a sense it seems as though she begins to feel free. She has a casual affair with a man whom she keeps running into around the city only to find out that he is already involved with someone, and this event, while not devastating, makes her realise somehow that she should take notice of things that might be right before her eyes. Eventually her cat is found-stuck somehow behind the old lady's stove. Not classic film material, but it is watchable and entertaining.

I first saw this film for free at a downtown theater earlier this week. I liked it so much, that I rented it last night. Aside from offering amazing views of Paris, this film is an engaging character study--not only of the city's denizens but of Chloe, who I think every single girl living in a big city can relate to. The woman who played Madame Renee was hilarious (I was glad to see older women such as her getting meaty roles). And the drummer was hot.