Rating: 4/5
Once upon a time, this really happened
Oliva, standing in a clock tower, overlooks the village and its eccentricities.
Robert gets milk for his cat Cica and Robert’s gerbil before school.
He asks the kids to draw what they like or dislike about their town. We see those likes and dislikes projected on their papers, reflecting their honest feelings, even if it scares them to voice them.
Oliva comes to the school and tells the kids about a cat with sunglasses whose eyes reveal a person’s true nature via color. The people in the story killed the cat to avoid facing the truth.
The kids then draw pictures of cats. They’re all great. In at least one case, the kid is drawing it.
A float operated by people decked in all-black rides into town. A woman named Diana is on the float holding a cat with sunglasses named Mourek.
Cica and Mourek run off together and hang out. Robert chases after them and meets Diana. Robert says she’s the most beautiful girl he’s seen, and I’m inclined to agree with him.
At a performance, clothes dance without a body. They put on a show that mirrors events we’ve seen in the movie.
Diana flies in as a red rose — the color of love.
Cats appear, including Mourek. Diana takes off its sunglasses, and people change color. People group according to their colors and dancing.
A frenzy breaks out. Some want to kill the cat, while others want to save it. Most are afraid of it revealing their true colors.
At one point, the kids take collective action and boycott the school, which rules.
The film is whimsical and earnest. Like The Peanut Butter Solution, it has its peculiar logic and appeals to kids and adults.
The story is slight, with long bouts of music and delightful magical moments.
The people’s colors are so vibrant. It’s almost overstimulating. I love it.
So many cute cats! There’s also an itty bitty turtle. I giggled a bunch.
While the film may be sloppy and meandering, its abundance of heart makes it impossible not to root for.