by Mark Murton

English Title: Genealogies of a Crime

Directed by: Raúl Riaz

This review contains Implied Kitty Carnage Warnings!

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

Synopsis: In this confusing and confused cinematic puzzle, lawyer Solange (Catherine Deneuve) is engaged to defend a young man, René (Melvin Poupaud), accused of murdering his psychiatrist aunt, Jeanne. As they get to know each other, Solange starts to associate René with her recently deceased son while also seeing herself as the reincarnation of Jeanne (Catherine Deneuve in a red wig.) As their dysfunctional relationship develops and deepens, further deaths become inevitable.

Implied Kitty Carnage Warnings! Quite what cats mean or represent in this film is, like much of the other content, left open to interpretation. No actual cats even appear until past the halfway point, although a cat’s cry is heard on the soundtrack at various points prior to this (and after.) We learn from Jeanne’s diaries that René first displayed his sickness / homicidal tendencies by killing a cat (“‘To save it. He gave it ether and gutted it alive.’”) Later Solange’s mother, Louise (Monique Mélinand), relates how a punishment from her father “stopped you throwing cats out of the window.” “Did I do that? I’d forgotten,” replies Solange, continuing, “So I threw a cat out of the window?” Her mother scoffs, “One she says. Lots!”

Kitty Cameos: This exchange takes place at Solange’s mother’s place and she has a longhair tuxedo cat, which is first seen as it jumps up onto a chair from the floor.

Moments later the cat is sitting on the back of the chair (at first out of focus and then only partially in frame) as Solange looks at a display of ornaments.

Much later, having won the case, Solange is at her apartment with René, his girlfriend Soledad (Camila Mora), and their friend Yves (Mathieu Amalric) when her attention is drawn to a young girl (Melinee Prochasson) standing cradling a tabby kitten in her arms while also holding a large kitchen knife.

No clue is given as to the child’s identity (simply billed “The Little Girl” in the credits) and the accompanying dialogue is no help as Solange approaches the girl and asks “You?” which receives the reply “Yes, me.” Presumably she is Solange’s younger self (looking for a convenient window perhaps?)

Solange spots the knife and takes it from her. The girl and the kitten watch as Solange goes back inside.

Solange walks back into the room where the three friends are, still holding the knife as well as a plate of sandwiches. She hands the sandwiches to Yves and Soledad and as she does so a white cat descends the stairs behind them.

René mocks Solange and tells her to give him the knife, which she does, stabbing him repeatedly. The same white cat understandably runs for cover.

We now see Solange has been telling the story of the film to her lawyer. We are shown a shot of the murder scene with the blood-stained bodies of René, Soledad and Yves lying on the stairs, sofa and floor respectively as the white cat, who has now been joined by a black cat, eats the food on the tray beside Soledad’s body. Solange’s only response to the lawyer’s inquiries is “Two cats.” The lawyer informs Solange they will be pleading insanity and takes his leave.

Final Mewsings: It doesn’t take a psychoanalyst to know that anyone who harms a cat is crazy.

Relevant Links:

To discuss this film and other cats in movies and on television, join us on Facebook and Twitter.