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A CAT IN PARIS (UNE VIE DE CHAT)Movie Reviews
French language animation about a pet cat that teams up with a cat burglar to save his owner, a mute girl, from a dangerous gangster. Cast:Dominique Blanc, Bernadette Lafont, Jean Benguigui, Bruno Salomone, Oriane ZaniDirector:Jean-Loup Felicioli, Alain GagnolRelease Date:June 1, 2012DVD Release:October 9, 2012From:GKIDSLength:1 hr 5 min
OCTOBER 9, 2012
A Cat in Paris (Une vie de chat), Good (Not Great) Reviews, Mixed Key Cities
A Cat in Paris (Une vie de chat) played in key cities to good not great reviews. Reviews were mixed. • Leba Hertz wrote in the San Francisco Chronicle, "A charming little French animation... animation that sort of combines folksy and expressionist art." • And MaryAnn Johanson wrote for Flick Filosopher, "...an awkward blend of solemn and silly..." More Reviews Below...
A Cat in Paris (Une vie de chat) Positive Reviews (26 Reviews, reviews below)
A Cat in Paris (Une vie de chat) has not been reviewed by Broad National Press
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (8 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: VERY GOOD "...a refreshing reminder, at a time of large-scale, highly polished cinematic spectacle, of the essential, elemental sources of movie-watching pleasure."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 539 words, 06/01/12
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: POOR(cg) "...charmless but harmless... doesn't enchant... There's some silly verbal shenanigans from the thieves, but families seeking kitty coolness will be disappointed."(See all of Joe Neumaier's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 71 words, 06/01/12
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...the filmmakers can't quite decide whether its tale should be serious or silly... 'Cat' trips and stumbles unsteadily between a bit of both."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 656 words, 06/01/12
Lou Lumenick, New York Post: MODERATE(cg) "...seems slight and unremarkable, especially compared to two other wonderful French-language nominees in recent years, 'The Triplets of Belleville' and 'The Illusionist.' "(See all of Lou Lumenick's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 156 words, 06/01/12
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: VERY GOOD(cg) "...an elegant thriller.... It's quite remarkable, and at a tick over an hour in length, stunningly well-packed given the running time."(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 335 words, 07/27/12
John Anderson, New York Newsday: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Ever wonder where your cat goes when you let him out? If he's as versatile as Dino, the title character of 'A Cat in Paris,' he may be moonlighting as a burglar's assistant..."(See all of John Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 301 words, 07/13/12
Michael Atkinson, Village Voice/LA Weekly: WEAK "...the loose, all-pastel picture-book images and nearly featureless characters are less than fascinating, and the story is unoriginal and mired in bad jokes."(See all of Michael Atkinson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 201 words, 05/30/12
KEY CITIES (8 Reviews)
Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...slight but visually charming.... neither deep nor complex. Still, it's so good-looking, and without a drop of CGI or 3-D, that it hardly seems to matter."(See all of Michael O'Sullivan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 421 words, 06/29/12
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: VERY GOOD(cg) "...gorgeously rendered... 'A Cat in Paris' is thrilling, and a thrilling example of traditional ink and paint cartooning."(See all of Steven Rea's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 334 words, 08/31/12
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: VERY GOOD(cg) "...should charm young viewers. Exciting adventure awaits little Zoe as her pet cat Dino scampers across the city's rooftops with daring burglar Nico."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 115 words, 06/29/12
Mark Feeney, Boston Globe: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "It's too opaque for kids.... Yet at the same time it's too cartoony (you'll forgive the expression) for grown-ups. 'A Cat in Paris' falls between two stools..."(See all of Mark Feeney's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 349 words, 06/29/12
Leba Hertz, San Francisco Chronicle: VERY GOOD(cg) "A charming little French animation directed by Alain Gagnol and Jean-Loup Felicioli... features animation that sort of combines folksy and expressionist art."(See all of Leba Hertz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 155 words, 04/27/12
Shawn Levy, Portland Oregonian: GOOD(cg) "A surprise Oscar nominee for Best Animated Feature... a handsome and perky film built around a story so simplistic that it almost feels like it wasn't ever written down."(See all of Shawn Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 152 words, 02/10/12
Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: VERY GOOD(cg) "Although there's a skeletal story, 'A Cat in Paris' evokes a mood instead of a moral. Like a cat nap, it gives us a brief, refreshing dream with little to remember."(See all of Joe Williams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 308 words, 06/29/12
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (8 Reviews)
Michael Atkinson, Village Voice/LA Weekly: WEAK "...the loose, all-pastel picture-book images and nearly featureless characters are less than fascinating, and the story is unoriginal and mired in bad jokes."(See all of Michael Atkinson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 201 words, 05/30/12
Gerald Peary, Boston Phoenix: VERY GOOD(cg) "...falters in the middle with too much farcical plot... it finds itself with a neat climax amidst the gargoyles atop the Notre Dame cathedral."(See all of Gerald Peary's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 115 words, 06/28/12
Tasha Robinson, AV Club: VERY GOOD(cg) "...earns respect with its makers' dedication to old-school craft.... It's stylish, pretty fun, but not the kind of ambitious effort that should make the world sit up and take notice."(See all of Tasha Robinson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 542 words, 05/31/12
Stephanie Zacharek, Movieline: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a feat of hand-drawn animation that relies on spare but succinct character design and a dazzling sense of perspective... its charms have a noirish gleam."(See all of Stephanie Zacharek's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 858 words, 05/31/12
Joseph Jon Lanthier, Slant: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...with the cozy charm of an advertisement for Starbucks French Roast.... the storybook aesthetic dampens what could have been a marvelous noir-in-pastels."(See all of Joseph Jon Lanthier's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 427 words, 05/28/12
Curt Holman, Atlanta Creative Loafing: WEAK(cg) "...feels thin... at least gives parents a chance to teach their kids to appreciate the endangered form of animation done by hand."(See all of Curt Holman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 310 words, 06/28/12
MaryAnn Johanson, Flick Filosopher: FAIR(cg) "...an awkward blend of solemn and silly... will likely bore, confuse, or terrify small children, while adult fans of animation may find the shifts in tone jarring."(See all of MaryAnn Johanson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 305 words, 04/06/12
HIGHBROW PRESS (4 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: VERY GOOD "...a refreshing reminder, at a time of large-scale, highly polished cinematic spectacle, of the essential, elemental sources of movie-watching pleasure."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 539 words, 06/01/12
Scott Tobias, NPR: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...well plotted but a little rote, clever but a far cry from ingenious, attractive but not particularly evocative. When it ends, it leaves behind the faintest of paw prints."(See all of Scott Tobias's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 551 words, 05/31/12
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...the filmmakers can't quite decide whether its tale should be serious or silly... 'Cat' trips and stumbles unsteadily between a bit of both."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 656 words, 06/01/12
Dana Stevens, Slate: VERY GOOD "...it moves to a different rhythm than the animated spectacles we're used to -- it's sparer, less hectic, less cute -- and the difference feels welcome and refreshing."(See all of Dana Stevens's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 631 words, 06/01/12
MOVIE INDUSTRY (4 Reviews)
Jordan Mintzer, Daily Variety: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "Delightfully old-school on the animation side, but too old-fashioned on the story side... easy enough on the eyes yet never quite justifies feature-length status."(See all of Jordan Mintzer's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 307 words, 01/02/11
Michael Rechtshaffen, Hollywood Reporter: VERY GOOD "Best Animated Feature Oscar nominee... a delightfully stylized caper involving a mute little girl, her pet cat and a cat burglar... casts a beguiling spell..."(See all of Michael Rechtshaffen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 511 words, 02/04/12
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...the filmmakers can't quite decide whether its tale should be serious or silly... 'Cat' trips and stumbles unsteadily between a bit of both."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 656 words, 06/01/12
A.O. Scott, New York Times: VERY GOOD "...a refreshing reminder, at a time of large-scale, highly polished cinematic spectacle, of the essential, elemental sources of movie-watching pleasure."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 539 words, 06/01/12
19.9 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
A Cat in Paris (Une vie de chat)'s reviews are separated by an average 19.9 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
A Cat in Paris (Une vie de chat) (26 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:A Cat in Paris (Une vie de chat)'s reviews cover 25.2% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 9,187 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 353 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
A Cat in Paris (Une vie de chat) Coverage, Volume & Length (26 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 63.4 Hours Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
A Cat in Paris (Une vie de chat)'s reviews on average broke 63.4 hours before opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is A Cat in Paris (Une vie de chat)'s opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
A Cat in Paris (Une vie de chat) (26 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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