The Case of the Grinning Cat (Chats Perches) (2005)
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100% of critics liked it
(16 reviews) -
70% of users liked it
(607 ratings)
Filmmaker Chris Marker combines two of his long-time passions, felines and Leftist politics, in this documentary essay film. Veteran filmmaker Marker is a devoted cat lover, with a number of tabbies of his own, so when the city of Paris repeatedly fell victim to a graffiti artist spray-painting… More Filmmaker Chris Marker combines two of his long-time passions, felines and Leftist politics, in this documentary essay film. Veteran filmmaker Marker is a devoted cat lover, with a number of tabbies of his own, so when the city of Paris repeatedly fell victim to a graffiti artist spray-painting grinning kitties all over town, Marker became curious and began to investigate. The cat graffiti started to appear not long after the September 11 attacks in New York City, which provoked new anxieties about international terrorism, but it wasn't long before solidarity with America gave way to protests over the War in Iraq and its consequences. Suddenly the image of the grinning cat was embraced by anti-war activists, who attached it to the slogan "Make cats, not war!" But as the smiling kitty became all the more pervasive in Paris, Marker was left to ponder if the cat's new political agenda was a symbol of genuine commitment or merely an example of fashion fusing with the events of the day. Chats Perchés (aka The Case of the Grinning Cat received its North American premiere at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Rating, Runtime
- Unrated, 58 min.
- Directed By
- Chris Marker
- Genres
- Documentary, Drama, Musical & Performing Arts, Art House & International, Special Interest
- In Theaters
- Jul 21, 2006 Limited
- On DVD
- Dec 2, 2008
- Studio
- First Run/Icarus
Critic Reviews
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John Monaghan, Detroit Free Press
[Director] Marker may be windy, but he also enjoys the wisdom that comes with age. His masterful command of the camera shows that he can lecture and entertain at the same time.
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Wesley Morris, Boston Globe
The Case of the Grinning Cat is further evidence of Chris Marker's exhilarating wit. His hour-long cinema essay offers a snapshot of France that's been realized in Marker's daydreamy developer fluid.
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Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter
Demonstrates that this cinematic provocateur [director Chris Marker] has lost little of his gift for social observation.
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Manohla Dargis, New York Times
In The Case of the Grinning Cat, the filmmaker Chris Marker fluidly moves over and under Paris, capturing images of fugitive beauty and pathos.
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V.A. Musetto, New York Post
Leave it to Chris Marker, the 85-year-old French documentarian and cineaste hero, to take an unexceptional event and turn it into an exceptional film.
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