Do You Have a Cat?

I was sort of curious about how I could be swept away by this short when I saw the title in the film festival guide. The answer: easily. The writing was sharp and funny, the acting didn't feel like acting and the director knew what he was doing. People have accused me of being stone-faced, but if something doesn't make me laugh, I can't fake it. I laughed out loud several times at the nuanced wit; obviously the writer is smart and funny, but thankfully she didn't feel the need to overload the film with "proof." Instead, she told a simple story of a bisexual woman looking for love, but who is thwarted again and again by cats and her allergies to them. I don't know how long the movie was, but it flew by and was by far the best the thing I saw that day. Just a delicious film.

It's hard to be funny in just a few minutes on a shoestring budget, but Jason Sax, Nicole Kristal and their sharp cast pull it off. There are lots of great little throwaway lines, as when Amber Benson's character looks out over a beautiful vista while hiking and mutters, "I hate nature." The movie doesn't try to force too much depth on its audience, but it does a nice job of depicting the minefield of stereotypes that all intrepid daters must navigate before getting to know someone for real. Oh, and get ready for some cute animals--probably another no-no of indie film production. Didn't someone say, "Never work with kids or animals"? But once again, they pull it off.

"Do You Have a Cat?" is a polished comic short on so many levels - production value, writing, acting, music, pacing, etc. All of these elements come together seamlessly.

The most important aspect, in my opinion, is that the film brings a touching and comic humanity to the bisexual dating scene. What happens to Jess could happen to anyone - she just wants to find love and it doesn't matter who it has as long as they don't have a cat. I had a friend who's eyes would swell up monstrously every time he came around my cat so I know he would get a kick out of this film.

All in all, the characters grow on you and, when the eleven minutes are up, you're left wanting more.