A Cat in Paris

2010 was a big year in animation: For the first time ever, two foreign movies were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. The award went to Toy Story 3, but A Cat in Paris was still a winner, since the nomination brought much-needed American attention to this gorgeous French import about a girl, her cat, and a charismatic burglar roaming the rooftops of Paris.

Dino is the cat in question. He belongs to Zoe, a little girl who is mute. Zoe's mother is a detective with the Parisian police force. At night, Dino roams through a Paris that  is silent and lonely, empty of its bustling crowds. He, like many other cats, is two-timing his family with a burglar named Nico.

Nico and Dino are the perfect team. Stealthy, sure-footed, and big-hearted, they slip through the city at night to steal jewelry and precious artwork. Then one night Zoe decides to follow Dino to see where he goes at night. She not only discovers Dino's other life with Nico, she also gets tangled up in a plot by gangsters to steal a priceless statue.

The movie is a sweet 65 minutes long, which is just long enough to tell its story, and not a moment more. The tight editing keeps the pacing brisk without losing any of the more subtle, wonderful moments and vistas. The artwork and the settings, particularly the nighttime scenes that take place during and after a snowfall, are gorgeous and distinctive.

The original movie was recorded in French. Purists will be dismayed to learn that Netflix only has the dubbed version available for streaming online. However, the dubbing was done well and with a talented cast (including Marcia Gay Harden, Anjelica Huston and Matthew Modine). A Cat in Paris is rated PG, and probably isn't appropriate for younger children, since it features some truly menacing and perilous situations.

Image copyright A Cat in Paris