re:mote voices

Title: The Cat Returns [Neko No Ongaeshi]
Cast: Anne Hathaway, Cary Elwes, Elliott Gould, Peter Boyle, Andrew Bevis, Tim Curry, Judy Greer, Kristine Sutherland, Kristen Bell, Rene Auberjonois
Director: Hiroyuki Morita

The Cat Returns was intended to be a part of the 2003 London Film Festival, picked up by the London Film Festival On Tour so that it was to be shown in Glasgow as well. I had a ticket weeks in advance. But when we turned up on the night, we were disappointed to find that the film had been withdrawn from the festival. Something to do with who had the rights and the licenses for showing the film.

So now, several years later we get the Disney version, dubbed into English and on an appallingly limited release. The Cat Returns opened in Glasgow on Friday 27th of May, and has been restricted to showing only during the day, which will no doubt severely limit the number of people who get to see it. Particularly annoying given the sort of profile films like Robots and Valiant that have less appeal have been given.

Haru is a particularly clumsy schoolgirl, always tripping over things, always turning up late for class. But when she sees a peculiar cat, carrying a parcel in its mouth, about to be hit by a truck, she surprises everyone with her quick reactions. Saving the cat's life she is astounded when the cat stands up on his hind legs, dusts himself off, and thanks her for saving his life. As it happens the cat is the only son of the King of the Cat Kingdom, who is so pleased by Haru that he swears to shower her with gifts. Though boxes filled with mice left in her school locker don't seem to please her as much as the cats had expected.

The fact that the ultimate gift the King has come up with for Haru is to make her marry his son is an even greater source of distress for the young human. Fortunately a mysterious voice gives her the advice of seeking out the Cat Bureau. The Cat Bureau turning out to be the base for the Baron and his friends - a cat statuette with a soul, along with Toto a crow statue with a soul, and Muta a particularly large cat. Luckily they are willing to help Haru with her plight, but with the cat forces moving to take her to the Cat Kingdom it becomes a race against time.

The Cat Returns is the latest film from the Japanese animation studio Ghibli, originally from 2002 and finally making the rounds as a Disneyfied version with English subtitles. An arrangement which has been going on since Princess Mononoke, I believe. Though undoubtedly it was the film prior to The Cat's Return - Spirited Away - which is likely to have been the most successful release for Ghibli to date. With that, The Cat Returns is not as good as Spirited Away, it would have been pretty hard pushed to top that success. However it is still a wonderful film, and there are several thematic similarities between the two.

Of the half dozen or so Ghibli films that I have seen to date, The Cat Returns is likely the most contemporary. The city that the film starts with is very much a bustling Japanese city, something we haven't really seen before in these films. Perhaps ironically, The Cat Returns is actually a sequel to a film from 10 years ago - Whisper of the Heart, which also featured the Baron helping out a young girl. Though I suspect that Whisper of the Heart has gone straight to DVD, as I am unaware of a cinema release, and the English language version of both films has the Baron voiced by Cary Elwes. Both pieces being based on manga by Aoi Hiiragi.

Though the lead character as a teenager girl is a common thread through a number of Ghibli's films, such that Haru follows in the footsteps of Chihiro (Spirited Away), Satsuke (My Neighbour Tortoro) and Kiki (Kiki's Delivery Service). From that Spirited Away and My Neighbour Tortoro remain my two favourite Ghibli films, but The Cat Returns is certainly up there - I certainly prefer this type of out put from Ghibli than Princess Monoke or Nausica� of the Valley of the Winds.