A Cat's Life

Clémence discovers the great joys, and attached sadnesses, of loving a cat with a will of its own. She learns empathy and joy, one purr, one death-defying leap, one loss at a time in a rare family movie of gentle pleasures.

If you grew up loving films like the Homeward Bound series, then you'll probably like A Cat's Life, since much of the film is about Lou discovering the magic and perils of life in the wild.

The reflections of love, loss, and deeper themes of growing up and leaving bits of your past life behind, even though it hurts deeply will resonant with all, young and old alike.

The tonal and thematic shifts of A Cat's Life are so abrupt and drastic that they feel unfair...

…a grounded, clear-eyed film about how animals are, in some senses, more reliable than people…how we cope with the endless process of growing up is the point here…

Occasionally charming and sweet, but often bland, meandering and undercooked.

Maidatchevsky does well working with his furry stars, creating a feature that, for its first two acts, finds its magic in the simple ways of feline behavior.