The Rabbi's Cat (Blu-ray and DVD Combo Pack))

Visually Splendid Animation Attached to Philosophy Lessons
I offer a litmus test. If you adored Sylvain Chomet's "Triplets of Belleville" but were bored with "The Illusionist", this film won't work for you. Myself, I thought the colors and drawings were artistically incredible ... something like Arabic or Hindu painted miniatures. Alas, there really is not much of a story. It is instead a tale of a journey by a rabbi, his voluptuous daughter, an Arab sheikh, and a Russian who are searching for a hidden Jerusalem in Ethiopia where Blacks and Jews co-exist in peace. Along for the ride is the rabbi's "talking cat" - a creature which loves arguing and commenting on everything when he's not being pampered by the rabbi's daughter. Since the rabbi is a religious man, they discuss differences in customs and spirituality and beliefs...and why that matters.

The half of the film that take place in Algiers, 1920 is simply stunning. Beautiful blue pools, Persian carpets, exotic buildings, and mosaic tiles. For that alone, I give it 4...

Funny And Entertaining: A Smart And Sophisticated Animated Gem For Adults
Although released under the GKIDS label, I'm going to start out by saying that "The Rabbi's Cat" is not an animated feature for children. It is undeniably geared toward adults or, at least, teens with an awareness of the world around them. The film discusses religion, racism, and violence and is thought-provoking in a surprisingly comedic way. This feature won the César Award in France for Best Animated Film and is based on Joann Sfar's series of graphic novels. Truthfully, without knowing anything about the movie, I really didn't have a strong desire to see it. I imagined the worst when I read about a talking cat offering wit and insight into a myriad of weighty topics. But I'll watch anything, you never know where that next great surprise is going to come from! Well, for me, this was it! I absolutely loved "The Rabbi's Cat!" The movie is smart, silly, sophisticated, and scathing. There is much to admire in this 89 minute movie, and the DVD/Blu-Ray also boasts some...

A Truly Charming Animated Feature Film
The Rabbi's Cat is a truly charming animated film. The story follows an elder Rabbi and his daughter living in the Sephardic Jewish community in pre-World War 2 Algeria. The eponymous cat develops the ability to speak upon devouring the Rabbi's prized Parrot and proceeds to cause no end of mischief for the family and the surrounding community.

For fans of the graphic novel by Sfar, the film stays absolutely loyal to the look, feel, and theme of the original. The film has cut some plot-lines and characters in order to fit within the standard length of a two hour movie, but this hurts the narrative much less than one might think.

The Rabbi's Cat is ultimately about identity, religion, and ethnicity and how the contradictions within those boundaries ultimately define us as people. The fim is targeted at adults with the religious and historical that are too complicated for younger children. Overall, a great film from beginning to end.

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