In Japanese with ENGLISH & CHINESE SUBTITLES
Genre: Drama
Director: Inudo Isshin
Cast: Koizumi Kyoko, Ueno Juri, Kase Ryo, Hayashi Naojiro
RunTime: 1 hr 56 mins
Released By: Festive Films & GV
Rating: PG
Official Website: http://festivefilms.com/guguthecat/

Opening Day: 23 April 2009

Synopsis:

Asako, a comic book artist in her early forties, is devastated by the death of her precious cat, Sava, which kept her company for over 15 years as her assistant Naomi watches on with concern.

Naomi is a young woman in her early twenties, who has her set of worries about love and future. Then one day, Asako meets a new cat, Gu Gu, which brings new joy and vitality to her life.

What is more, she finds potential for love in a man named Seiji. Like Asako, Naomi, too, embarks on a new life plan.

Movie Review:

I think it must be difficult to train felines to act in front of the camera. That’s the most plausible reason I can think of why their species hasn’t graced the screens as often as, say, the canines- because judging from the “so cute!” reaction from the audience that preceded the very same line among the human characters in this movie, cats can certainly be just as endearing as dogs.

Indeed, going into a film like this (and in fact, the poster should very well warn you), you should be prepared for numerous adorable scenes involving the titular feline character. For the uninitiated, Gu Gu belongs to the breed of American shorthair silver tabby. So named by her owner, a still-single manga artist Asako, Gu Gu was chosen after Asako’s earlier pet cat of 15 years Ca Va dies from a kidney disease.

Initially devastated by the loss, Gu Gu helps Asako regain her creative juices and get back to what she does best- creating and drawing. In fact, this movie is not so much about Gu Gu as it really is about Asako. It is about her loneliness, laid bare by the death of Ca Va, a void that Gu Gu begins to fill. It is also about her newfound love interest, a younger man who seems to share some of her eccentricities. Most of all, it is about her life, her ups and downs, and how through it all, Gu Gu will be there with her.
 
Based on the autobiographical manga by Yumiko Oshima, Gu Gu The Cat is a surprisingly minimalistic affair. It tells its story of Asako and that of her four posse of friends/co-artists with simplicity, never trivialising or exaggerating the details within. And in doing so, it allows the wonderfully restrained performance of Kyoko Koizumi to shine through. Even though her character Asako demands a stoic demeanour, she manages to convey Asako’s tacit feelings beautifully, and sometimes heartbreakingly. 

That’s not to say that this movie is without its laughs. Director Isshin Inudo preserves a unique quirky feel to the movie, especially with some of its delightfully peculiar comic situations. Surely, I’ve never seen anything like a zookeeper learning to speak Thai just to communicate with the elephant under his care. Yes, I must say that there’s something very original in some of its offbeat humour.

A large part of the movie’s hilarity also comes from the movie’s supporting cast, in particular Asako’s company of friends. They are an absolute hoot every time they appear on screen together, seemingly oblivious in their own world. Deserving of special mention is Juri Oeno who plays Naomi, probably Asako’s best friend among the four. A subplot involving her and her boyfriend, Mamouru, is especially touching thanks to her heartfelt performance.

Alas the movie falters in the last third with an overly long, and altogether uninspiring, twist. This is especially disappointing since some of the subplots that have been developed brilliantly before this actually are squandered in a pat ending which doesn’t do them justice. Even Gu Gu, Asako’s beloved cat, seems to have been forgotten during this time.

Still this remains an original and inspired telling of a heart-warming, true-to-life story of finding companionship and company in one’s life. You’re best advised to take this story at its own pace, as it does proceed languidly. As far as feline movies go, it is proof that someday every cat will (and should) have its day on the big screen.

Movie Rating:



(Artfully told with its unique quirky charm, Gu Gu, as its name suggests, is certainly Good Good)

Review by Gabriel Chong