Film Education -

Cat in the Box (Katya's reivew)

The first moments are quite mystical, you don’t know what will happen or
what the film is about. This fact is emphasized by the soft tinkling of bells and
secretive wind chimes.

From the second the animated cat leaps into the scene and knocks over paint
pots and water jugs, you can almost imagine what trouble it is going to cause.
The muted colours in what would otherwise be a very bright room really
embody the feeling of mystery, and when the box opens accompanied by
heart-pounding music and sparks of silver, you really feel very curious.
When the woman can’t find ‘Millie’, there is a slightly amusing scene of the
woman diving in with a pair of snorkels, but behind the fun you can tell that
she is doing it because she really cares about her cat.

With the music accelerating in speed and fury, you slowly see the rope
ominously slipping further and further down, until it suddenly flies off, leaving
the woman with nothing connecting her to the outside world. With every
centimeter the rope slips, you find yourself becoming more and more
apprehensive about what will happen next. When the woman’s cries are
drowned out by the box folding up, you see Millie leap up onto the table, and
your first thought is “What happened to the woman?”

This is a wonderful short film, which makes up for its briefness with punchy
feelings and hidden messages. I do long for a sequel, but I suppose that the
imagination in your head is just as good a storyteller.

Review by Katya Chu

Watch the full film and the other nominees on the First Light website.