Die Katze

The kind of film which can leave no one ice cold. It is impossible not to feel anything, not to weep in front such a story. Poignant, gripping, painful, so realistic and close to reality of millions of couples all over the world. A tale about old age, not very old though, but more than mature anyway. Terrific performances pulled by two giants of the French movie industry: Jean Gabin and Simone Signoret. Many folks may feel empathy for both of the characters, feel so close to them, to their tragedy. A movie about loneliness and the loss of love but maybe not tenderness. A film about regret of lost happiness. Two people who spent their whole life together and who suddenly get bitter, only thru a cat issue. You could spend hours analysing this awesome story, but so gloomy, sad, moving. One of Pierre Granier Deferre's best, with LE TRAIN and LA VEUVE COUDERC. In terms of couple feud about a pet - among many oter things - it's the smoother version of WAR OF THE ROSES.

When the young lust faded, the sexual appealing disappeared day by day, day after day, facial features sagged, legs turned weak even limping started mysteriously, all the joints hurts, wrinkles all over the face, the neck skin loosened, flipped and flopped like a turkey, arms and thighs muscles shrunk and dingling like hollow balloons without air, hairs lost and dropped everywhere, teeth ached and gum disease deteriorating, eyesights became fuzzy and blurry. A couple lived together over 50 years, what else would be used as an interesting conversation? Communication with what? Without sex, life simply lost the maintaining power to go on. Sex desires distinguished by enlarged prostate, tunnel dried up after menopause. If windows not opened every morning, bedroom smelled like death, not just old fart smelly odor. Cat or no cat, that's not the excuse. Everyday to old farts is nothing but unbearable torture. Heart attack is welcome since it just happens without premotion, drop dead right on the spot is actually a blessing. Swallow sleeping pills is another way out, just gulp them down with enough tap water or bottled water. When you become old enough, awaiting death is an impatient yearning like buying lottery, you never know when you hit the jackpot to bow out.

This started as a Georges Simenon story, and is typically brutal about human relationships. I like it so because of the performances of Gabin & Signoret - they were as good as you can get, and here are at the top of their powers. Either of them would have blown anybody else I can think of off the screen. Excellent, if very French.

A derelict neighbourhood is becoming gentrified. An unwanted house is becoming demolished. A claustrophobic marriage is becoming dissolved. Absorb the depressing mood: script, score, silence. A superior film.

To make a review short, the acting by Jean Gabin and Simone Signoret is nothing short of fantastic. The film is a downer but it's worth watching. There's something in French cinema that's unique. It often creates towering, almost mythical characters through mundane situations. The two actors make anyone from Hollywood look amateurish.