The Case of the Grinning Cat

I can’t think of a better portrait of contemporary Paris or the zeitgeist of 2001-’04 than Chris Marker’s wise and whimsical 58-minute 2004 video. Marker, now in his 80s, shot the images on the streets of Paris and in its metro stations: graffiti, posters, demonstrations, musical performances, cats (real and cartoon). The original conveys Marker’s commentary only through pithy intertitles, but the English version screening here has an unfortunate voice-over delivered in a heavy French accent by actor Gerard Rinaldi that tries to explain as well as translate these titles. Still, no one can film people in the street better than Marker or combine images with more grace and finesse. Screening with Alice Arnold’s 30-minute To Be Seen (in Beta SP video), about “the battle between guerrilla art and corporate ads on the walls and sidewalks of New York.” Reviewed this week in Section 1. Gene Siskel Film Center.

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