Three siblings attend a peculiar family dinner in “The Strange Little Cat” (Das merkwürdige Kätzchen), Swiss writer-director-sound designer-editor Ramon Zürcher’s precise, economical seventy-one-minute debut. Its story is a playful, minimalist variation on Kafka’s “Metamorphosis,” and while reminiscent of the work of Chantal Akerman and similar rigorous filmmakers, in its own confined way, it’s even a little like Jacques Tati’s “Playtime.” Its tasty strangeness, beginning with the characters’ behavior and extending to jolting play with editing, framing and sound design, leaves a lovely savor and a lyrical aftertaste. With Leon Alan Beiersdorf, Matthias Dittmer, Lea Draeger and the titular orange tabby. 71m. (Ray Pride)
“The Strange Little Cat” opens Friday, December 26 at Facets. A trailer is below.
Ray Pride is Newcity’s Senior Editor and Film Critic. He is a contributing editor of Filmmaker magazine.
Ray’s history of Chicago Ghost Signs is planned for publication next year. Previews of the project are on Twitter and on Instagram. More photography on Instagram.
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