The Rabbi's Cat (2012)
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94% of critics liked it
(16 reviews) -
66% of users liked it
(971 ratings)
Based on the best-selling graphic novel by Joann Sfar, The Rabbi's Cat tells the story of a rabbi and his talking cat - a sharp-tongued feline philosopher brimming with scathing humor and a less than pure love for the rabbi's voluptuous teenage daughter. Algeria in the 1930s is an… More Based on the best-selling graphic novel by Joann Sfar, The Rabbi's Cat tells the story of a rabbi and his talking cat - a sharp-tongued feline philosopher brimming with scathing humor and a less than pure love for the rabbi's voluptuous teenage daughter. Algeria in the 1930s is an intersection of Jewish, Arab and French culture. A cat belonging to a widowed rabbi and his beautiful daughter, Zlabya, eats the family parrot and miraculously gains the ability to speak. Along with the power of speech comes unparalleled sardonic wit, and the cat - and filmmaker Sfar - spare no group or individual as they skewer faith, tradition and authority in a provocative exploration of (among other things) God, lust, death, phrenology, religious intolerance, interspecies love, and the search for truth. Rich with the colors, textures, flavors and music of Mediterranean Africa, the film embarks on a cross continent adventure from the tiled terraces, fountains, quays and cafes of colonial Algiers to Maghrebi tent camps, dusty trading outposts, and deep blue Saharan nights in search of a lost Ethiopian city. (c) GKids
- Directed By
- Antoine Delesvaux, Joann Sfar
- Written By
- Joann Sfar
- Genres
- Action & Adventure, Animation, Art House & International
Unrated,
- In Theaters
- Dec 7, 2012 Limited
- Studio
- GKIDS
Critic Reviews
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Sheri Linden, Los Angeles Times
It's a wild and vivid ride and a spirited reminder of the kinship between Jewish and Arab cultural traditions.
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Kyle Smith, New York Post
"Ambitious" isn't the word here; "random" is more like it.
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Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times
The film presents an often sharp commentary on dueling beliefs and idiocies that unfolds in lush pastel hues and distinctively retro drawings.
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Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News
Though we wander a bit, the trip is a delight, thanks to the witty company.
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Sarah Fisch, Village Voice
An absorbing, nuanced, and vividly animated tale of adventure, ambivalent morality, colonial injustice, talking animals, and the vagaries of religious zeal and colonialism.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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François Morel
as The Cat
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Maurice Bénichou
as The Rabbi
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Hafsia Herzi
as The Rabbi's Daughter
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François Damiens
as The Reporter
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Mathieu Amalric
as The Prince
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Jean-Pierre Kalfon
as Malka of the Lions
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Fellag Sheik
as Mohammed Sfar
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Marguerite Abouet
as The African Lady
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Sava Lolov
as The Russian Painter
