Seine Pictures
Starring: Fran Kranz, Nikki Reed, Greg Kinnear
Also Starring: Bogart, O’Malley
Directed by: Gillian Greene

Cat Out of the Bag Alert!  This review contains some spoilers for this film!

Synopsis: In this dark comedy, Clinton Moisey (Fran Kranz) is a socially backwards man living with his mother and his cat, Mouser.  When Mouser is found murdered, Clinton sets out to find the culprit, a quest which may ultimately change his life.

Featured Feline: Clinton’s cat, Mouser, is a Russian Blue (played by cat actor Bogart).  He is first seen sitting on the table at Clinton’s comic book sale in the front yard of his mother’s home (he formerly owned a comic book store that closed after just six months.)

Unimpressed by anything at the table a boy asks if the cat is for sale.  Clinton is not amused.

In the next scene Clinton takes Mouser to the vet and comments about how his cat has been disappearing for longer periods of time lately and that he seems to be losing his fur and his interest in life.  The vet suggests Mouser see a psychiatrist.

That night Clinton is in his basement room watching episodes of Who’s the Boss?  Mouser is sitting in the windowsill and Clinton walks over to get him.

Clinton falls asleep with Mouser on his chest.

During the night Clinton awakens to find Mouser gone and the window opening and closing in the breeze but falls back asleep.

Kitty Carnage Warning!  The next morning Clinton walks outside to see a small crowd of neighbors standing around something in the street.  He is horrified to see that Mouser has been shot and killed with an arrow by an unknown assailant.

During the course of Clinton’s investigation to find Mouser’s killer, he comes across a Lost Cat poster with a picture of Mouser (saying the cat answers to the name of Horatio.)

Clinton goes to the address on the poster and finds the door open.  When he walks inside he is shocked to see photos of Mouser all over the walls.  Mouser has been leading a double life, living part time with a girl named Greta (Nikki Reed)!

Cat Burglar (Scene Stealer): We won’t spoil the outcome of this comedic thriller here, but we will talk about the very end.  Having grown considerably during his adventures, Clinton is moving out of his mom’s basement and into a new place.  He asks his mom to stop the car for a moment and he walks to the window of a pet store where he sees an adorable orange and white kitten.

Greta appears and gives a voice to the kitten, stating his name is Bartleby (played by kitten actor O’Malley).  The final shot of the film is Greta and Clinton riding off on a motorcycle with Bartleby in a carrier on the back.

The cat actors were provided by Boone’s Animals for Hollywood and trained by Tracy Kelley.

Final Mewsings: Killers of cats should be brought to justice!

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