GNK Productions
Starring: Hamish Linklater, Miranda July
Also Starring:  Ella
Directed by: Miranda July

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

Synopsis: Jason (Hamish Linklater) and Sophie (Miranda July) are a troubled couple who decide to adopt an aging cat which brings about a period of bizarre self-reflection.

Featured Feline: The cat who Jason and Sophie decide to adopt is an older rescue cat named Paw-Paw who is in a shelter with a bandaged front leg. Paw-Paw narrates parts of the film (director Miranda July provides the voice of the cat) but is only actually seen in one scene when the couple go to pick him up.

They have been told that the cat will only have about six months to live. When they ask about this, the shelter worker explains that with loving care Paw Paw could live up to five more years. Jason and Sophie realize that their lives are speeding by too fast and decide to make some drastic changes. They have a bit of a reprieve from their newfound responsibility when it is explained that they won’t be able to take Paw-Paw home for another month, but that they must pick him up on that day or he will be put to sleep. The real cat Paw Paw was played by a cat named Ella and was provided by Benay’s Bird and Animal Source run by Benay Karp.

For much of the film Paw Paw is represented by just his front paws, utilizing puppeteering and the cat’s voice.

Kitty Carnage Warning!  While no violence towards the cat is seen, this film is not a happy one, so be warned!

Final Mewsings: If you can’t get out of your own head enough to adopt and care for a cat, don’t!

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