When the Cat's Away

Virtually plotless, like so many French films, this is the discursive tale of a lonely young makeup artist named Chloe (Garance Clavel, superb), whose only companions are her rather obnoxious gay roommate (Olivier Py) and her beloved black cat, Gris-Gris. While on vacation, she leaves Gris-Gris in the care of Madame Renee (Renee Le Calm), an elderly woman who works part-time as a catsitter; when she returns, she finds that Gris-Gris has vanished. Her quest to find the missing feline, as you might have already guessed, places her in contact with a host of new people. Simultaneously a multifaceted character study and a portrait of a city in turmoil, it's never less than thoroughly engaging, yet it ultimately feels rather slight, more a terrific idea for a movie than a terrific movie per se. While I enjoyed the improvisatory feel, I was also acutely aware from time to time that not a whole lot was technically happening onscreen, however fine the performances and keenly observed the milieu. Still, it's a fun, energetic, perceptive mood piece--scattershot but confidently so. Recommended. (M. D'Angelo)