Pat Gets a Cat (2005) User Reviews

Wow...Bertocci scores again!

[planktonrules · 9/10 · 21 September 2008]

PAT GETS A CAT was recently posted on IMDb and is there to view if you live in the United States. It's about a lonely college student who out of desperation adopts a cat. While at first it doesn't go very well (with some funny reactions by his fellow students), after a while he comes to need the cat and actually imagine that it's a person--the double of a pretty young lady he's seen in the school's library.

This is a student film made while Adam Bertocci was enrolled at Northwestern University, but compared to many other student films I have seen, it is head and shoulders better. It has excellent writing, direction and a professional quality about it you might not normally expect--plus the film is cute as can be with a really clever story. However, given that I have seen another of Adam Bertocci's excellent short films, LOVE: THE MOVIE, I actually was expecting something special--as LOVE was a heck of a fresh and entertaining film as well. Both films, it turns out, have already received awards and I certainly am not surprised. In fact, I can't wait until Bertocci "turns pro" so to speak--in other words, moves to Hollywood and makes a bazillion bucks making more nice little films--but with bigger budgets. Keep an eye out for this guy.

FYI--In a funny cameo, the guy who repeatedly tells Pat that the cat will steal his soul is actually the director.

Pat Gets a Break

[slimjim3382 · 13 July 2006]

I am viewing this because I enjoyed the structure element of Bertocci's previous short "love" and hoped that he had matured as a filmmaker away from all that moralizing and motivational speeches. Aside from a few improvements, it looks it I am going to have to wait for that maturity to present itself.

This short presents the idea that we create our own realities/worlds, one where there is a new set of logic and rules. Pat's world reflects his loneliness so he reflects his desired companion ("library girl") onto this "princess," his only companion. The cat apparently in Pat's world functions as his obsession/conscience forcing him to talk to "library girl." Even his friends appear here as caricatures, one as Randall from Clerks, angry cat guy, and obnoxious allergy girl (I am assuming they were one dimensional on purpose to emphasize the loneliness factor). It is the director's job to help us enter into this world as seamlessly as possible. As a writer, Adam must create Pat's world and then set the direction of the camera so that the world is created for the audience. I believe Adam failed in this constant cinematic problem. A few opening shots of Pat eating Cheetos and sleeping on the couch with narration overlay does not establish a world for a general audience. It will only connect with twenty something men that have social/depression issues. Adam, I wonder how much of this script is you trying to convince yourself of this "happy ending" reality, that if you try hard enough "things will all work out in the end." I have read you believe in the conservative notion of personal responsibility and have applied this to our main character through "princess", however it is more likely that Pat know matter how hard he tried would not be able to attract any woman because he is not happy with his life in any aspect as you establish in the opening monologue. This is not a matter of personal responsibility. So once again Adam cannot abstain from the preaching at least it wasn't overt this time like in "dingle" and "love." I guess part of my repeating issue of Adam's preaching is not so much that he is doing it, but that his topics about love and relationships are so misguided and naive. "Sixteen candles" notions of love will only bring about more pain and agony. Relationships are not a one-stop fix for our lives, I mean come on Kevin Smith doesn't even believe that. Speaking of relationships, the scenes where Pat interacts with "Kat"-rina (Oh I just got it) are a low point in this film. The actress is not able to sell the "interested but shy" routine. I believe the film would have been better with a stronger performance from "Princess" actress and that may be part an editing problem too.

Aside from all that, there are some improvements. The leading actor was believable and fit well with the role. Camera movements were attempted and succeeded in bringing a better cinematic language to the film. The music was sufficiently emo and fit the character/Adam's world. The one scene that is jarring and works tremendously well is the first time the cat transforms. It is effective as an image and brings the audience into the film. If the movie works at all it is because of that one scene. Some progress has been made.