Review of The Case of the Grinning Cat (2006) by Justin R — 13 Sep 2008

I imagine it must be tough to put down the work of a reclusive artist such as Chris Marker who operates so freely in terms of doing what he wants, and with low-budgets, in the fringes of the film industry.

But if this film didn't have his name on it and instead had some unknown name attached to it, I doubt it would receive such glowing reviews and accolades, or even any attention. His filmmaking style here looks amateurish and is comparable to the sloppy work of many film students.

Granted he works with small budgets, but there are many filmmakers working with small budgets who are capable of producing higher quality work. There are certainly moments of beauty, but the entire film is undermined by very low production values and the very loose editing.

The narration itself was terrible--I wish it would have been in French with English subtitles, rather than having a Frenchman narrating it in English. I could barely understand the narrator at times and his voice inflection was so lifeless and disconnected from the story.

I can only hope the original language version was better than this. In conclusion, it looks unfinished and amateurish. Were this not Chris Marker, I doubt the reviews for this film would be so kind.