Jean-Loup Felicioli & Alain Gagnol's PHANTOM BOY: more delightful animation from France

Four years ago we got a surprise treat from French animators Jean-Loup Felicioli and Alain Gagnol with their Oscar-nominated gem, A Cat in Paris. Now the pair is back with an equally delightful movie called PHANTOM BOY, about a young fellow with (it's never named but it looks suspiciously like) cancer who somehow manages to leave his own body for periods of time, during which he helps a police detective solve a major criminal case involving a mastermind bent on taking over all of New York City.

Part of the delight of the film comes from its funny French take on the Big Apple -- which is, as you might imagine, noticeably different from the New York you've elsewhere seen. The animators (shown above, with M. Gagnol on the left) offer up their signature style of somewhat slanted eyes (not unlike, I think, Gagnol's own) and attention-calling use of whiskers and other body hair.

But it is the pair's wonderfully fluid and graceful capture of flight as our little hero takes leave of his corporeal body to soar above the city that causes the movie and our spirits to surge.

There is plenty of humor, too -- for both kids and adults -- as the villain, whose masked face is painted in a marvelous combo of film noir and Picasso, keeps attempting but never quite succeeding in both his quest for power and his explanation to our heroine of how his face came to its current and sorry state.

That heroine, a feisty journalist (above, right) attracted to our beleaguered cop (above, left), is a lot of fun, too (her suggestion of what of diet the cop might want to eat should resonate positively with parents -- and negatively with kids).

There are chases and explosions, excitement and suspense, and one nasty, sharp-toothed little dog (above), but there's nothing here that should too much ruffle the feathers of children. The possibility of sacrifice is explored, as well, though the filmmakers back off from the kind of thing that might result in something actual and permanent.

One wonders if the movie might have had an alternate ending for European audiences? This one -- feel-good and all-is-well -- proves perfectly serviceable. But I can't help but think that audiences, even the kids, might have reacted more deeply to a story in which certain actions have logical consequences, even in that magical realm of make-believe.

From GKIDS and running a swift and enjoyable 84 minutes, Phantom Boy opens tomorrow, Friday, July 15, in New York City at the IFC Center, and on July 22 in Los Angeles at the Landmark's NuArt. To view all currently scheduled playdates with cities and theaters listed, click here, then click on FIND A THEATER.

A CAT IN PARIS: Jean-Loup Felicioli & Alain Gagnol's Oscar-nominated animation opens

By the time that last year's Academy Awards were upon us, audiences had been able to see four of the five nominated animated films: the three Hollywood mainstreamers (Rango. which won, Puss in Boots and Kung Fu Panda 2) and the little Spanish/Cuban lovely, Chico & Rita. But what about that fifth film -- of which nobody seemed to have heard anything -- a little movie called A CAT IN PARIS? Now we know.

Directed by Jean-Loup Felicioli and Alain Gagnol (shown above, with M. Felicioli on the left) and written by M. Gagnol and Jacques-Rémy Girerd, this 67-minute round of non-stop, stylized and stylish, hand-drawn animation is a visual treat of major propor-tions in the guise of a minor kids' adventure. The film's original French title, Une vie de chat (A Cat's Life) is funnier and more ironic than its English counterpart (of course the cat's in Paris; that's where it lives).

TrustMovies took his 7-year-old grand-daughter to the screening, and she pronounced the film "very good; I liked it a lot." Fortunately, its distributor GKIDS is releasing the film in both dubbed and French-language/English-subtitled versions. We saw the dubbed one, which was done quite well, with the likes of Marcia Gay Harden, Matthew Modine and Angelica Huston handling the voices.

You might call the story, which said grand-daughter found "a little scary," a kind of police procedural for kids. It has to do with a young girl named Zoe (above) who, due to a fairly recent traumatic experience (unseen on screen), has lost her ability and/or will to speak. While at work, Mom leaves Zoe with a housekeeper and her pet cat, Dino, who, it turns out, has quite the active night life. I've often heard that cats are nocturnal creatures; this one defines the lifestyle.

Art theft, rooftop chases, kidnapping and more ensue, and the clever, economical but often quite gorgeous animation -- which is definitely the star of this show -- makes everything eye-poppingly watchable. Ah, the Parisian night scenes (above), or the wonderfully rendered change of seasons (below)! On the other hand, the animation is nicely subtle and suggestive (notice how the artists indicate whiskers and other facial and body hair). There's always a smart sense of humor at work here, too.

Not that the kids'll notice, but the movie includes some nice take-offs of film noir, along with everything else it manages (including an initial Mission Impossible-like robbery). This stuff is for the attending parents, who will probably be film buffs in their own right (or they wouldn't be taking their kids to see non-Hollywood animation). Note: as both the English-dubbed and English-subtitled versions will be shown, make sure you know which one is playing at the particular screening time you've chosen. Unless the kids are older (or are very advanced), they may not be able to keep up with the English subtitles....

A Cat in Paris, which is a special treat for those of us who still love hand-drawn animation, opens this Friday, June 1, in New York City (the Angelika Film Center and the AMC Empire 25) and at Land-mark theaters in Los Angeles (NuArt), San Diego (Ken Cinema), Berkeley (Shattuck Cinemas) and San Francisco (one of the Landmarks; at this point they're not telling us which).  The movie will be opening elsewhere all across the country over the summer. Click here to see currently scheduled playdates, cities and theaters.