The Les Arcs European Film Festival has been in full swing since December 16th. Among the very rich film program, we find an interesting Focus on German cinema. That's how we discovered Ramon Zürcher 's The Strange Little Cat . If this sensory work is very aesthetically controlled, it must be admitted that it suffers from severe weaknesses of writing. Focus!
Quasi-impressionist imagery
The strange little cat stands out for its staging and the composition of its plans. Although the protagonists evolve in a very basic environment (a middle-class apartment), each image is as harmonious as it is elaborate. This is particularly noticeable by two types of plans.
In the first place, we have the shots resembling "filmed theater". The camera takes the time to let the characters sit down and interact, without superficial cuts or counterfields. They evolve as on a stage, making immersion in the film all the more natural. Each plan seems studied so that the frame is properly filled (neither too much nor too little).
The second type of shots are the moments when the camera lingers on a particular animal or object. During these suspended moments, it almost seems to us to admire impressionist paintings, as the colors are fascinating and the composition of the images worked. The muted colors of some images reinforce the sensation of contemplating painted works of art.
In addition to aesthetics, it should be noted that an interesting work has been carried out on sound, reinforcing the sensory aspect of this independent work. This applies both to the dialogues (which seem very close to us), as well as to the musical phases present especially during the quasi-impressionist shots mentioned above. However, if the aesthetics of The Strange Little Cat is impeccable and the work on the sound interesting, it is disappointing to note the weaknesses of writing this work.
Regrettable scripting shortcomings
Let's set the record straight: the intentions behind thescenario of The Strange Little Cat are not bad. The idea is above all to show the daily life of an average family as well as its interactions.
However, it must be admitted that in practice, the film quickly becomes boring. This is primarily due to the fact that no attachment is possible to the characters. These are antiheroes in all their glory. No initiatory journey, no psychological evolution, no goal to accomplish or particular desire… All this is not a bad thing in itself because many similar works work perfectly. But another writing concern is added to this defect: the dialogues.
Indeed, the interactions between characters are mostly uninteresting and often long for nothing. Even if this observation is very brutal, it is unfortunately quite representative of the dialogues. If we take as a comparative example Les Beaux Jours d'Aranjuez, this work was also quite boring because of its dialogues. However, the work of Wim Wenders, despite its pompous and endless interactions, had the merit of making us think about many subjects. In this, the dialogues alternated between deep boredom and a certain form of genius. It's a shame that The Strange Little Cat fails to do this. If the dialogue had been minimally more sophisticated, the film would probably have had a real philosophical impact.
Despite an impeccable aesthetic, The Strange Little Cat would have deserved a much more in-depth work on its dialogues. This being not the case, the film can only be appreciated by the most informed cinephiles, especially those who love the study of staging…
