by Linda Kay

Directed by: Christina Choe

Cat Out of the Bag Alert! This review contains some spoilers for this film!

Synopsis: Nancy Freeman (Andrea Riseborough) lives a life of quiet desperation which she combats by playing out fantasies in her blog and even in real life. After seeing a report about a girl who went missing some thirty five years earlier she convinces the couple she may be their long lost daughter and in the process starts to convince herself.

Cat Burglar (Scene Stealer): Nancy owns a ginger and white tabby cat named Paul, who is seen several times while she is still at home.

When she drives to visit the couple, Ellen (J. Smith-Cameron) and Leo (Steve Buscemi), she takes Paul with her. Upon arriving she finds out Leo is allergic to cats, but he offers to let Paul wander in their sun room.

One night while Nancy is smoking with the door slightly ajar Paul manages to slip out. Nancy is beside herself and almost darts into the dark woods to look for the cat, but Ellen assures that Paul will return.

In the morning Paul does come back.

Nancy is relieved and Leo offers to let her keep the cat in the bedroom.

Paul is seen once more near the end of the film as Nancy tries to decide what to do.

Incredibly neither the cat actor nor their trainer received any on screen credit. Director Christina Coe was quoted in an interview for Filmmaker Magazine regarding what can and can’t be controlled on a movie set, saying, “Cats — both old ones and young ones. They are totally un-directable even with food.”

Final Mewsings: If the kitty doesn’t get a screen credit, how will they ever get their SAG card?

Many thanks to Wahrhaftig for letting us know about the cat in this film.

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