Tuesday, June 5, 2012

A Cat in Paris





The animated Oscar nominee "A Cat in Paris" runs just over an hour, features a mediocre English-language voice cast, and is far from revolutionary in its animation, but it's one of the prettiest, most eye-popping movies in recent memory. With its lush palette and vivid color combinations, it took me back to my favorite illustrated storybooks from my childhood and the joy and wonder they inspired. I also liked the surprises in its simple but engaging storyline.


Dino the cat belongs to mute young Zoe, whose mother, Jeanne, is a Parisian police detective and whose father was killed by the dastardly Victor Costa. The first surprise is that while Dino spends his days with Zoe, at night he scampers over to his other owner, Nico, a sweet-natured petty thief who seems to enjoy taunting security guards as much as stealing their jewels. I won't reveal the other surprises - such as whom Zoe's nanny secretly works for, or with whom Jeanne ends up finding a second shot at love - but they're witty and sophisticated, in a delicious trifle of a movie that would have received my Oscar vote in its category.

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