by Linda Kay
Original Title: Jìyuántái qihào
Directed by: Yonfan
Cat Out of the Bag Alert! This review contains some spoilers for this film!
Synopsis: An animated feature set in Hong Kong in the 1960’s. Undergraduate student Ziming (voiced by Alex Tak-Shun Lam) is called upon to tutor Meiling (voiced by Wei Zhao), the beautiful daughter of Taiwan exile Mrs. Yu (voiced by Sylvia Chang) but he develops amorous feelings for both women, albeit on different levels.
Cartoon Cats: When Ziming first arrives at the apartment home of the women, he accidentally rings the doorbell of their upstairs neighbor, Mrs. May (Wei Yao), an opera singer who thinks he is there to be tutored by her. Mrs. May owns numerous cats which saunter about her apartment.
As Ziming heads down to the proper apartment, Mrs. May’s gray cat follows him outside, leaping from window to window.
The gray cat is present throughout much of the film, seemingly spying on Mrs. Yu and the activities in her apartment.
This echoes Mrs. May, who also seems to have more than a passing interest in Ziming’s presence with the women.
Cat imagery abounds and even gets surreal at times, especially during explicit dream sequences, such as when the head of a rapist turns into a Mrs. May cat companion.
A cat logo on a package of cigarette’s comes to life and jumps out of the artwork.
Mrs. May’s fox fur stole turns into her Himalayan cat.
Two of Mrs. May’s cats get into a catfight over Ziming’s sexy body.
Then rough artwork for this scene is shown in quick succession.
The cats are truly an integral part of this film, adding not only an air of mystery but also subtle (and not so subtle) subtext.
Final Mewsings: Cats can’t help it if they’re symbolic.
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