Vita da gatto

We start in likely Paris, and the attic skylight is ajar, and that has resulted in a mother cat giving birth to kittens there. And the photography of the energetic kittens is truly amazing. Anyone who has been around kittens know they are a blur of activity. On a hunting trip for food, the mother cat suffers a fall, and Clemence, the daughter living there, has been keeping an eye on the kittens, and notices the mother cat is missing. Her friend scoops up all but one kitten, and Clemence begs her parents to keep the last one, and names him, in English language, Lou. The activity caught in the home is truly wonderful as the ever curious kitten plays with everything. The parents have a cottage in the forests, and they take Lou along, and he romps through the woods, and finds a white kitten friend. But her parents go through a divorce, and have to sell the cottage, and on her last trip there, Lou escapes and can't be found, and they have to go, but a neighbor woman promises to look out for Lou. And he has quite an adventure. They really managed to capture, as if through the eyes of a cat, of how romping and exploring in the home and in the woods is all about, as he grows into an adult cat, and faces danger. If one is an animal lover, especially for cats, this is a wonderful film, and ignore the negative comments. No, it is not Oscar caliber, but makes for great family viewing.

When you have kids, you cannot miss such an intimate movie about a young girl who finds a baby cat when her family stability is broken. From indoor life in a flat to holidays in Vosges mountains, the young girl learns how a cat needs outdoor life to meet other animals, fight, play, get scared, this is how much curious is a cat. This young girl learns about herself with her kitten, it's an initiatory journey. Indoor and outdoor, the cinematography is astounding, especially in the Vosges mountains with all the wild animals. The different sounds of these animals create a magic atmosphere. The casting is fabulous, the kitten of course, and of course Capucine Sainson-Fabresse as the young vivid girl and Corinne Masiero as the eccentric friend.

If you like cat movies for kids, remember "une vie de chat" in another genre.

Can't believe any of the scriptwriters, producers or the director ever had a cat at home. Every single thing that the characters let the cat do in this movie or how they treat him in general just cries for the Animal Service to intervene and arrest everybody!

Other than that, the mother character and how she reacts to the relationship between her daughter and the cat is clearly abusive towards the child. And it's portrayed neutrally.

I don't know what was in the heads of the creators, but last time I was this appalled about someone's view on how to treat animals - especially pets - was when some fringe politician said it's ok to eat cats and dogs. This movie could just as well do the same and it would not be less informative on the topic of caring for a cat.

The Sunday Disney early evening television show was a moment in most homes. Early fading memories of the original Disney film The Incredible Journey with my mother in the 'safer world 'for some that it was. Waxing nostalgia puts one in rose-coloured glasses yet it is a sheer delight to watch a new French-made A Cat's Life made for family viewing that illustrates moments of life in a non-heavy-handed way.

The story is simple yet profound in many ways as you have a young girl Clémence (Capucine Sainson-Fabresse) who rescues a kitten found in her Parisian attic. She names it Lou and throughout the film, they form an unbreakable sentimental bond. This bond is one through life that those who have animals in their home. The four-legged dependant quadrupeds become part of the family for years, seeing one through tough times, good times and life changes.

Lou like Clemence is timid, shy and in some ways naïve to what changes can happen rapidly. The family ventures to the countryside for a cottage vacation, where Lou's curiosity leads to life-changing adventures in the woods from a curious kitten to an adventurous cat much the same as Clemence who faces her parent's imminent divorce.

The city of Paris and the rural settings are lovingly photographed somewhat in the style of the Netflix series Emily in Paris. This is the backdrop of a personal voyage for all its characters, mainly through Lou's eyes. The French have a way of doing this style of live-action film earlier successes like The Bear and others with exquisite photography of the cats both large and small, Parisian drain gutters with rats and later the lush green forbidding forest. The picture also has little dialogue enhancing the storytelling with the images making it good for children.

Clémence and Lou both are in adolescence and the pursuit of independence. In many ways, this film shows often that Cats, adopt you. Lou's adventurous escapades and Clémence's evolving companionship needs particularly when her parents announce their divorce are both transition points to adulthood. A journey that one grows into sometimes at the price of a loss touching on a tough point that one never grows up until one buries a parent. A Cat's Life may seem a simple cuddle film yet there is more in play in the world of the film.

Aside from four-legged Lou and her friends who do steal the show in points, there is Corinne Masiero's portrayal of Madeleine, the secretive hermit artist who lives near the family's cottage property. Her role deepens the story with her role philosophical moments, talking to her dog Rambo as if he were human. She also coexists peacefully with nature with deep abiding respect for the cycle of life and Death that makes up the natural world. In one profound sequence Madeline reveals to Clemence that she has a hypodermic with the drug to put her Dog Rambo to sleep should his time come. She mentions it is cruel to keep animals alive for our Love and when it is Rambo's time she will do it with dignity. Madeline also is forced to kill a wild boar to save Clemence in the woods She is deeply distressed and angry about having to do this act laying her hands on the animal with reverence and regret.

A Cat's Life is wonderful as a smaller version of themes from Born Free as it shows Humans and animals are not that far apart in some ways. People grow and change with time and so seek independence. Crafted with exquisite care with music and images the film is a narrative that is not just entertainment but a learning experience for some to choose to let yourself into the film world. Even the most hard-hearted unsentimental go through these moments in Life at one time. The reflections of love, loss, and deeper themes of growing up, and leaving bits of your past life even though it hurts deeply which we all do.

Love this movie! It focuses in on the needs of the cat and humans involved. Cats need love and freedom at the same time. The camera work was fantastic.....the acting awesome.......and the ending, led me to want to know the rest of the story....... A little white cat that has been living in the wild, connects with Lou......and attempts to pair up and live in the wild together........Would like to see - the rest of the story. A very touching movie for cat lovers. One of my cats spent last night sitting on my lap, and watching the movie to the end with me. Quite a moving and delightful movie! The actress playing the young girl, was fantastic......the scenery was beautiful, and I could relate to the relationship between Lou and the young girl. Not a cheaply produced movie. The camera work filming the movements of the different animals, was well done. There was s little confusion about the relationship between the parents - but was cleared up later. I would love to see a follow up, to this first movie. I fell in love with that star of the movie - the cat that plays Lou. Some say the cats name is Rou - but to us, it sounds like Lou. Just s wonderful movie!