A Cat in Paris, (2012)

A Cat in Paris, (2012)
French Animation Oscar Nominee
Voices: Anjelica Huston, Maria Gay Harden, Matthew Modine
Directors: Jean-Loup Felicioli, Alain Gagnol
Studio: New Video Group/ GKids [10/9/12]
Video: 16:9 color
Audio: English PCM stereo; Alternate original French audio track with English subtitles
Subtitles: English
Extras: Short: “Extinction of the Sabre-Toothed Housecat,” Flipbook: “The Many Lives of a Cat,” U.S. trailer, Trailer for The Secret of Kells
Length: 70 minutes
Rating: *****
Didn’t realize this delightful animated feature which I saw at the Portland International Film Festival was to be released on DVD & Blu-ray so far in the future. That’s probably why I was sent not only a standard DVD but one with “Preview” in the corner thru the entire film.
The animation is a distinctive mix of rather simplified cell animation plus some almost surrealistic details. It has been observed to be in the style of Matisse cutouts.  Dino the cat has a double life. He lives with a little girl, Zoe, whose mother is a Parisian police detective. A terrible gangster has killed her husband. But by nightfall Dino slips out the window to join cat burgler human Nico in purloining various jewelry and money. Many scenes balancing on the picturesque rooftops.
When Zoe is kidnapped by the gangster and his henchmen Nico saves her and they have a suspenseful adventure involving not only the bad guys but also the Paris police and Zoe’s mother, ending with a climax atop Notre Dame cathedral. There’s a very French twist to the plot involving the perfume worn by the gangster’s moll and the cat.
A wonderful animation for children, adults and of course cat fanciers. The pre-feature short is a rather corny animation in the style of “Bambi and Godzilla,” of which the end credits are the funniest.
—John Sunier