(Une vie de chat) Jean-Loup Felicioli and Alain Gagnol’s hand-drawn, hand-colored “A Cat In Paris” is a slinky noir of art deco adult animation, and one of the 2012 nominees for Best Animation Academy Award (a roster that notably omitted the toy-centric “Cars 2”). The story’s old-fashioned—cat follows cat burglar along the roofs of Paris, leaving behind young owner Zoe—but illustrated and illuminated with classic panache—plus no 3D within a hundred kilometers. (It’s also the best-looking stylized animation I’ve seen since the underrated “Brave.”) The farce tends to the French and frazzled but its rooftop climax is over the swoon: it’s a dance across the City Of Light-footedness. Music by Serge Besset, Billie Holiday and Mozart. 70m. (Ray Pride)
“A Cat In Paris” plays July 27-August 9 at Siskel; shows in French are 35mm; in English, HDCAM video. Reviewed in French.