Summary
A very faithful adaptation of Hiro Arikawa’s novel, meaning that it’s surprisingly touching journey told (mostly) from the perspective of a stray cat. In other words: it’s the annual Japanese Film Festival cat-related film!
“I am a cat.” With that simple opening gambit, director Koichiro Miki (Revenge Girl)’s film consciously channels Natsume Sōseki’s famed tale of a cat. Indeed, as an adaptation of Hiro Arikawa’s novel of the same name, THE TRAVELLING CAT CHRONICLES (旅猫リポート) offers few surprises for fans of the feline fiction. Nevertheless, it remains a heartwarming journey through the most photogenic parts of Japan and it has cats. So it ticks a lot of boxes, really.
Closely following Arikawa’s text – almost too closely in fact – we meet the good-natured Satoru (Sota Fukushi) as he is about to embark on a voyage with his cat Nana, who acts as the film’s narrator with the voice of Mitsuki Takahata (Destiny: The Tale of Kamakura, Japanese Girls Never Die). Through a series of flashbacks we learn of the bond between Satoru and his street cat, and the tragedy in the former’s past. When Satoru can no longer take cat of his beloved cat, he hops in his silver van and visits a series of old friends to find a suitable fit for the plucky pet.
A surprisingly touching journey told (mostly) from the perspective of a stray cat who learns to call owner Satoru his own. While not as sharply satirical of Japanese society as Sōseki’s 1905 novel, there’s something kind of sweet about seeing ourselves reflected back through the eyes of the titular kitty. There are certainly more absurdist asides in the film version, with some amusing dialogue breaking up this travelogue.
Which is what this really is, at least visually: an extended road trip showcasing the summer landscapes of an ostensibly sun-drenched nation. There’s the more obvious landmarks of Fujisan along the journey, giving way to the seemingly endless fields of yellow flowers when they reach Hokkaido. Koichiro Miki’s lens is an optimistic one, also imbued with a soft glow as Satoru and Nana drive to their ultimate destination.
As the nostalgic road trip reveals Satoru’s true motivations, the film switches into full-gear emotional manipulation mode. Make no mistake: there’s genuine emotions to be had here, but Emiko Hiramatsu (the What a Wonderful Family! series) and Arikawa’s adapted screenplay pulls no punches in his unmitigated assault on our Kleenex budget. Nevertheless, in an increasingly dark series of films being released during the festival/awards season, it’s nice to know that the tradition of Cat Cinema shows no signs of stopping. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have something in my eye.
2018 | Japan | DIR: Koichiro Miki | WRITERS: Hiro Arikawa (novel & screenplay), Emiko Hiramatsu | CAST: Sota Fukushi, Mitsuki Takahata, Yuko Takeuchi, Alice Hirose | DISTRIBUTOR: Shochiku (JPN), Japanese Film Festival (AUS) | RUNNING TIME: 118 minutes | RELEASE DATE: 26 October 2018 (JPN), October – December 2017 (JFF)
