Summary
This island is sure full of cats! A gently paced adaptation of the manga that that does exactly what it says on the back of the box and fills the film with feisty and friendly felines.
If you Google “island of cats,” you may be unsurprised to find listicles on ‘The 11 Cat Islands of Japan’ or ‘Top 3 Cat Islands in Japan.’ The idea that there’s not only an island full of feline friends but multiple ones to choose from boggles the mind and warms the heart.
Director Mitsuaki Iwago takes the Nekomaki manga series Neko to Jiichan (“Cat and Grandpa”) as his inspiration for THE ISLAND OF CATS (ねことじいちゃん). Daikichi (Shinosuke Tatekawa) is an ageing man living on the titular island. Since his wife died, his constant companion has been Taka, a cat with a strong narrative voice.
Like last year’s The Travelling Cat Chronicles, Fumi Tsubota’s adapted screenplay opens with “I am Tama. I am a cat.” The phrase necessarily recalls Natsume Sōseki’s famous writing, although this film is not wedded to this conceit. Indeed, starting with its super tranquil opening shots of kitties in the sun, THE ISLAND OF CATS is in no particular hurry to get anywhere.
While there is a romantic subplot between the hapless Kentaro Wakamura (Tasuku Emoto) and cafe owner Michiko (Kou Shibasaki), and some health scares in the last act, Mitsuaki’s feature debut is notable for its absence of drama. Following the serialised pace of a slice-of-life manga, it’s filled with the elderly bickering and food porn in equal measure.
Mitsuaki is primarily known as a wildlife photographer, and here he turns his lens to the idyllic surrounds of Sakushima in Aichi Prefecture. The film has a gentle visual style, and a logical continuation of his work with cats of all sizes over the years. It’s like a fictionalised version of one of Kazuhiro Soda‘s documentaries.
THE ISLAND OF CATS doesn’t take too many chances, but that’s because it is confident about knowing its audience. If you’re already sold on the notion of a whole lot of cats interacting with some lovely older people on an island, then you’re halfway to loving not only this movie, but a type of film that is rapidly becoming a genre at Japanese film festivals around the world.
2019 | Japan | DIR: Mitsuaki Iwago | WRITERS: Fumi Tsubota (based on manga by Nekomaki) | CAST: Shinosuke Tatekawa, Kou Shibasaki, Tasuku Emoto, Kaoru Kobayashi | DISTRIBUTOR: Klock Worx (JPN), JAPAN CUTS (US) | RUNNING TIME: 118 minutes | RELEASE DATE: 22 February 2019 (JPN), 19 – 28 July 2019 (JAPAN CUTS)
