WHEN THE CAT’S AWAY

When the Cat's Away is a warm, simply told French romantic comedy about loneliness, changing neighborhoods, and the hope of finding love. Its charm comes from the contrast between old Paris and new Paris, as well as the colorful people Chloe meets while searching for her missing cat.

But the film's romantic warmth comes at a serious cost. The source review identifies 14 obscenities, implied fornication, a brief graphic homosexual sodomy scene, and other sexual material, along with nudity, alcohol, smoking, and miscellaneous immorality. That content makes this unsuitable for family viewing.

If you are an adult who can approach those elements with discernment, the film has enough charm and emotional appeal to be worth seeking out. For everyone else, especially children and young teens, choose something different.

Chloe is a makeup artist in a rapidly changing Paris whose love life is going nowhere. Before leaving on vacation, she entrusts her cat, Gris-Gris, to Madame Renée. When Chloe returns and learns that the cat has escaped, she and Madame Renée search the neighborhood together.

Along the way, Chloe encounters old friends, new acquaintances, and several possible sources of affection. Her search for Gris-Gris becomes a search for love.

Three stars means this is a charming, worthwhile film with clear limitations. The story is simply told, and its ironic contrast between old Paris and new gives the romantic comedy a distinctive setting. The film also combines non-actors with professional talent, contributing to its warm, human quality.

The movie received a warm worldwide reception, and its central story has genuine emotional appeal. Still, its sexual content and obscenities damage what might otherwise be an especially inviting love story.

The film presents a romantic worldview centered on a woman looking for love. Chloe's life brightens when she finds romance, suggesting that emotional fulfillment comes chiefly through a relationship. The source also identifies homosexual elements in the film's treatment of relationships.

Paris itself is shown as rapidly changing, with old and new Paris set against each other. That contrast also appears in Chloe's relationships with Madame Renée and the neighborhood's other characters. The film's use of non-actors alongside professional talent supports its close, human view of ordinary people.

The movie recognizes the ache of loneliness and the desire to be loved. But its sexual material, including implied fornication and homosexual elements, departs from a biblical understanding that love and sexuality belong within God's good design for marriage. Scripture says, “It is not good that the man should be alone” (Genesis 2:18), but human romance is not the whole answer to that longing.

When the Cat's Away is charming, human, and emotionally appealing—but its sexual content and obscenities make it unsuitable for families. For discerning adults, it earns WORTH THE TRIP — ADULTS ONLY. For other viewers, consider these.