Watch The Strange Little Cat

The Strange Little Cat is a 2013 German film directed by Ramon Zürcher, and it is a unique and experimental movie that challenges traditional narrative conventions of cinema. The film follows a seemingly ordinary day in the life of a middle-class family living in a Berlin apartment, but it is imbued with surreal and subtle elements that create an unsettling atmosphere.

The family is preparing for a dinner party that evening, and the story is framed by the perspective of their pet cat that roams freely around the apartment, observing the curious behaviors of the humans. The film is structured as a series of vignettes, each focusing on a different member of the family or a mundane aspect of their daily routine. However, the events and conversations are often fragmented and disconnected, which creates a sense of disorientation and ambiguity.

The film's visuals are strikingly minimalist, and the camera is mostly stationary, capturing the characters in long takes and wide shots that emphasize the spatial relationships between them. The apartment is meticulously designed with a muted color palette, and the objects and details that fill the set often become fixed points of visual fascination for both the characters and the audience.

One of the most intriguing aspects of The Strange Little Cat is the way that it depicts the dynamics of communication and meaning-making within the family. The dialogues are often mundane and unremarkable, but they are also full of subtext and tension. The characters oscillate between emotional intimacy and detachment, and there is a pervasive sense of unease that underlies their interactions.

As the film progresses, it gradually becomes clear that the situation is not entirely stable, and tensions start to rise. The family members are exposed to small mishaps and claustrophobic situations that slowly build up and lead to a climax. However, the film subverts expectations by refusing to offer a clear resolution or catharsis. Instead, it ends on an ambiguous note that leaves the viewers with more questions than answers.

Jenny Schily, Anjorka Strechel, and Mia Kasalo deliver nuanced and understated performances that suit the film's tone and style. The actors convey a sense of authenticity that makes the film's mundane struggles and moments of awkwardness feel viscerally real.

Overall, The Strange Little Cat is a haunting and enigmatic film that demands patience and attention from its viewers. It is a movie that defies easy categorization or explanation, and its power lies in its ability to convey a sense of unease and discomfort through subtle touches and suggestive visuals.

The Strange Little Cat is a 2015 comedy with a runtime of 1 hour and 12 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.6 and a MetaScore of 80.