In 2014's silly indie dramedy-thriller "Murder Of A Cat" odd-ball loner Fran Kranz (Bradley Cooper-lite) lives in a cosy corner of LA with mum Blythe Danner & his cat... but in probing (with, reluctantly, cop JK Simmons) the latter's murder via a cross-bow bolt he gets drawn into a thin small-town crime plot involving the likes of Nikki Reed (good), Greg Kinnear & Leonardo Nam. Christian Magalhaes & debutant Robert Snow's screenplay is light but ambitiously tries crossing a few genres, and debut director Gillian Greene brings it home decently enough on what appears to be a shoestring budget. It's unremarkable fare, though does have some likeable performances. Meh.
9 Reviews
Boring, she wrote
Suradit20 December 2014
Warning: Spoilers
Clinton is a socially inept and challenged young man who lives in his mother's basement where he makes small action figure dolls. His best friend is a 17 year old cat. The cat is murdered. Clinton decides to play detective. It turns out the cat was leading a double life with another owner-friend, Greta, who thought the cat was hers. She is a young woman who lives in a senior citizens' home. Clinton and Greta then do some detecting together and uncover nefarious doings at a local department store that relate, quite improbably, to the cat's murder. I'm not sure who the intended audience for this film is meant to be, but I'd say fans of The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew might find it barely entertaining. As a half-hour or one-hour TV show, it would have been somewhat tolerable, but running an hour and forty minutes it dragged on way too long. Considering some of the actors involved, Greg Kinnear & Blythe Danner, among others, I expected a better quality result. Unfortunately it was more tedious and ridiculous than amusing or intriguing. The supposed suspense and mystery never really amounted to anything that would keep the viewer engaged. Although there was a romantic connection that developed between the two central characters, even that was unbelievable. There were some chuckles along the way, but they were few and far between. It was a major disappointment.
Wacky mystery/adventure with some substance
vchimpanzee26 September 2016
This is a goofy mystery/adventure, but it isn't just funny. The drama adds something to it. We learn a lot about various characters, and the movie ends up having more substance than one would expect.
Fran Kranz, who is a man, makes an appealing loser.
J.K. Simmons delivers his usual great performance. His best line is in a scene where he denies working with Clinton.
Clinton looks like Bronson Pinchot went to Howard Wolowitz's barber, though later he looks more grown-up, resembling Andy Samberg.
Nikki Reed is also very good. The best example is her grief over the loss of her cat, which is quite genuine and not funny at all.
Leonardo Nam shows a lot more range to his character than just the stoned wacko we meet at the store. Is he crafty like Eddie Haskell, or is the guy at the store not the real Yi?
Greg Kinnear is very good as the celebrity store manager known for his outrageous commercials. But he is so much more than that.
Even Blythe Danner seems at home here. She has a reputation, but then so does J.K. Simmons, and both of them add so much to what could have been merely silly.
And the music is great. Most of it is some type of jazz, with the "film noir" style with muted trumpet the most common.
It's really worth seeing.
Fran Kranz, who is a man, makes an appealing loser.
J.K. Simmons delivers his usual great performance. His best line is in a scene where he denies working with Clinton.
Clinton looks like Bronson Pinchot went to Howard Wolowitz's barber, though later he looks more grown-up, resembling Andy Samberg.
Nikki Reed is also very good. The best example is her grief over the loss of her cat, which is quite genuine and not funny at all.
Leonardo Nam shows a lot more range to his character than just the stoned wacko we meet at the store. Is he crafty like Eddie Haskell, or is the guy at the store not the real Yi?
Greg Kinnear is very good as the celebrity store manager known for his outrageous commercials. But he is so much more than that.
Even Blythe Danner seems at home here. She has a reputation, but then so does J.K. Simmons, and both of them add so much to what could have been merely silly.
And the music is great. Most of it is some type of jazz, with the "film noir" style with muted trumpet the most common.
It's really worth seeing.
Strives To Be Mundane
Cinnyaste14 December 2014
Warning: Spoilers
Check any screen writing manual for definitions of plot point, twist, rising action. Then the RomCom playbook: meet girl, lose girl by self, regain girl, lose girl to externals, win girl.
Paint-by-numbers.
The script for "Murder of a Cat" is a textbook example. Each move is telegraphed. Each line moves toward the big twist right on time at minute 77. It may not be enough to discount this, or any film, but sadly there's nothing else to recommend it.
The chemistry between Nikki Reed and Fran Kranz is nonexistent. The former sleepwalks through a thankless, underwritten part while the latter, a sexless man-child living with Mom, was surely directed to angrily shout every line. Even the venerable J.K. Simmons phones it in, as does Greg Kinnear. Only Blythe Danner turns in a nuanced performance.
Further, Fran Kranz isn't a character, he's an annoying, trite and insulting caricature that's an affront to sensibility.
That leaves only plot: a Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew quest for the killer of Franz' cat. The yawn-inducing trail leading to the killer is paved with inane set pieces rolled in obvious that the filmmakers incorrectly believed was quirk.
There's a slapdash, let's-get-this-over feel to the proceedings which may derive from a tight shooting schedule. That might be forgiven, but when the cast isn't invested that feeling wafts over the footlights to hapless audiences. That conceit is the worst aspect in this useless film.
"Murder of a Cat" is an unfunny, undramatic, unwatchable insult not worthy of anyone's time. Maybe your cat will like it. (Maybe they'll wish for the same fate as the cinematic feline.)
Paint-by-numbers.
The script for "Murder of a Cat" is a textbook example. Each move is telegraphed. Each line moves toward the big twist right on time at minute 77. It may not be enough to discount this, or any film, but sadly there's nothing else to recommend it.
The chemistry between Nikki Reed and Fran Kranz is nonexistent. The former sleepwalks through a thankless, underwritten part while the latter, a sexless man-child living with Mom, was surely directed to angrily shout every line. Even the venerable J.K. Simmons phones it in, as does Greg Kinnear. Only Blythe Danner turns in a nuanced performance.
Further, Fran Kranz isn't a character, he's an annoying, trite and insulting caricature that's an affront to sensibility.
That leaves only plot: a Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew quest for the killer of Franz' cat. The yawn-inducing trail leading to the killer is paved with inane set pieces rolled in obvious that the filmmakers incorrectly believed was quirk.
There's a slapdash, let's-get-this-over feel to the proceedings which may derive from a tight shooting schedule. That might be forgiven, but when the cast isn't invested that feeling wafts over the footlights to hapless audiences. That conceit is the worst aspect in this useless film.
"Murder of a Cat" is an unfunny, undramatic, unwatchable insult not worthy of anyone's time. Maybe your cat will like it. (Maybe they'll wish for the same fate as the cinematic feline.)
Who talked these actors into this movie
MajBlade219 February 2023
J. K. Simmons, Blythe Danner, even old Fran are way better actors and have been in way way better stuff to have even entertained this dumpster fire.
How can Clinton the main character played by Fran Kranz look like a stereotypical Jew and the mother is obviously not? Some one else said it he looks like Harold Walowitz after being rolled at burning man.
Its not even really a comedy. Its really just stereotypical stuff trying to be made fun of by a half ass script. There is a reason no one saw it 10 years ago and im guessing streaming people will be coming on here soon to trash this all over the place.
How can Clinton the main character played by Fran Kranz look like a stereotypical Jew and the mother is obviously not? Some one else said it he looks like Harold Walowitz after being rolled at burning man.
Its not even really a comedy. Its really just stereotypical stuff trying to be made fun of by a half ass script. There is a reason no one saw it 10 years ago and im guessing streaming people will be coming on here soon to trash this all over the place.
Review of Murder of a Cat, no spoilers
frannce14 December 2014
I loved this movie. It is quirky and playful, without being heavy handed. The direction is excellent. The actors all feel very natural as if we, as the audience, are witnessing a little slice of their lives. It tackles big topics of corporate greed, economic issues, aimlessness, disenfranchised youth, love, romance and loyalty. It characterizes alienation in a parent/child relationship in a profound way that is very touching. All of this wrapped in a fun and crazy adventure that starts with a CAT. It is a wild and entertaining ride that left me wanting to stay on board as long as I could. I did not want this film to end. I highly recommend it.
Something awful .......
cekadah31 December 2014
Warning: Spoilers
...... makes you grow up! And in 'Murder of a Cat' that is what we see.
Clinton Moisey played by Franz Kranz finds his way out of his mothers basement, he exposes a corrupt local business, and then wins the affection of the girl he loves. All because he loved his cat first!
Clinton is determined to solve the mystery of the 'arrow' and it takes him on a journey into himself and the community around him. This flick is lighthearted and often silly but the message prevails - behind every evil or good act there are many stories to be found.
Some readers will think my review is finding too much in this simple flick but I think not. Kranz gives a stellar performance in his role as the adult that hasn't grown up but is forced to by circumstance. Once he made up his mind to solve the mystery he discovers there's more to himself than he or his mother realized.
Fun, funny, silly, entertaining, and thought provoking.
Clinton Moisey played by Franz Kranz finds his way out of his mothers basement, he exposes a corrupt local business, and then wins the affection of the girl he loves. All because he loved his cat first!
Clinton is determined to solve the mystery of the 'arrow' and it takes him on a journey into himself and the community around him. This flick is lighthearted and often silly but the message prevails - behind every evil or good act there are many stories to be found.
Some readers will think my review is finding too much in this simple flick but I think not. Kranz gives a stellar performance in his role as the adult that hasn't grown up but is forced to by circumstance. Once he made up his mind to solve the mystery he discovers there's more to himself than he or his mother realized.
Fun, funny, silly, entertaining, and thought provoking.
Better than I thought
john-graffio18 November 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Good writing. You can feel it from the beginning that you're in for a treat. Yes, they do catch the culprit. But it's not typical lighthearted good-guy / bad-guy fare. The characters are complex. They resolve problems and escape the prisons they've built for themselves as a result of Clinton's (played perfectly by Fran Kranz) dogged insistence on finding the killer of his cat.
The subtext of the story is what stays with you and makes you think about life. Clinton is portrayed as an insecure momma's boy, unable to support himself, spending his days creating little figurines and trying to sell them from his mother's front lawn. Your first impression is that he's a pathetic, harmless loser doomed to a life of obscure mediocrity. There is nothing to indicate otherwise, until someone shoots his aging cat with a crossbow, leaving the poor animal to drag itself to Clinton's house and finally die there. Clinton's sadness is off the charts. His only friend in the world is mercilessly shot down and left to die alone. Instead of simply moving on with life, Clinton transforms into a relentless crusader, pestering and bullying anyone who won't help him locate the killer of his cat.
Clinton's probing reveals sordid secrets of almost everyone he investigates. Every attempt to stop him fails. His sometime ally is Greta (played by Nikki Reed) who "co-owned" the cat. Even she drops out of the investigation when her secrets are revealed. But nothing will stop Clinton. As he knocks down and reveals each character's personal tragedy, he does what you don't expect: he shows true compassion for them. Clinton the oddball is the only character true to himself and his convictions. His human authenticity is a trans-formative power that forces his antagonists to let down their facades and become human again.
You'll laugh, you'll cry and you'll feel something profound. See this movie.
The subtext of the story is what stays with you and makes you think about life. Clinton is portrayed as an insecure momma's boy, unable to support himself, spending his days creating little figurines and trying to sell them from his mother's front lawn. Your first impression is that he's a pathetic, harmless loser doomed to a life of obscure mediocrity. There is nothing to indicate otherwise, until someone shoots his aging cat with a crossbow, leaving the poor animal to drag itself to Clinton's house and finally die there. Clinton's sadness is off the charts. His only friend in the world is mercilessly shot down and left to die alone. Instead of simply moving on with life, Clinton transforms into a relentless crusader, pestering and bullying anyone who won't help him locate the killer of his cat.
Clinton's probing reveals sordid secrets of almost everyone he investigates. Every attempt to stop him fails. His sometime ally is Greta (played by Nikki Reed) who "co-owned" the cat. Even she drops out of the investigation when her secrets are revealed. But nothing will stop Clinton. As he knocks down and reveals each character's personal tragedy, he does what you don't expect: he shows true compassion for them. Clinton the oddball is the only character true to himself and his convictions. His human authenticity is a trans-formative power that forces his antagonists to let down their facades and become human again.
You'll laugh, you'll cry and you'll feel something profound. See this movie.
Cute funny
ranftjenni2 November 2021
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