The story of this film focuses on the emotional response of a cat named Mango, who lives a suburbanite life with his suburban family. The family leaves and is involved in a car accident and Mango is forced to survive on his own - missing them and hoping they will return someday.
This is a terrific film movie that would be enjoyed by adults and children alike. I love how the film transports the audience into the mind a cat and how it reacts to the situation he finds himself in. There is a misconception that only dogs miss their families, when in reality, cats have an emotional connection to their owners as well. I was impressed by how the cat's movements match the narration. For example, in one scene there is a man who tries to provoke Mango with a rock, but Mango stares him down and says something like, "I am not a dog! Stop! I am not a dog." Plus, the eye movements of the cat match the narration. I did not enjoy the scene with the snake; it happens very suddenly and made me very uncomfortable. The cinematography is commendable and follows Mango as he moves about the house and outside. When the man takes Mango to a home and rings the doorbell, it is raining and the light is dim; it feels like the man is trying to get the cat to its home on a rainy day. I enjoyed some of the shaky camera movements like when Mango is transported by the man, the camera shakes a bit to showcase the tension between Mango's thoughts and what is going on. There are not a many other actors because the story is focused on Mango, but we do see a little girl, a man who seems to be homeless and the grandpa. The set design is pretty minimal; we see the kitchen floor, an outside area with a lot of leaves and a road. The director doesn't focusing much on the locations, which would have been a distraction. There is a selection of background music that is very nonintrusive - gentle piano music and nature sounds primarily. In the two scenes that turn dark the score ramps up and gets louder to match Mango's emotions. In the beginning, the effects are solid. I was not distracted by the cat, but around the twenty-five-minute mark, the CGI effects seem a bit off-putting. Those effects go away and I became invested in the story again. Mango goes through a great deal of character development. In the beginning, his voice seems to have a sense of pride with a bit of snarky humor. As the story progresses, his attitude turns into self-assurance, but with a sense of longing. The homeless man does not have many lines, but when he is on screen, he captivates the scene by unintentionally playing off the dialogue Mango has in his mind. The grandpa allows the cat to make up his mind about wanting to leave or stay. The director, Oren Peled, describes the inspiration behind the film as when his cat Simba, who plays Mango in the film, went missing - that event led him to craft this movie. His wife also helped craft the story. Oren mentioned why cat films starring real cats is not big. He noted that cats are extremely hard to control, especially when the camera is rolling. Since cats are reluctant by nature and skeptical of anyone who is not a member of the family, a real cat can be a nightmare to work with. So Peled decided to only have the family members that Simba knew as crew for the film and that made Simba more comfortable and made the filming go smoother.
My favorite part of the film is Mango the Cat! I love Josh Bloomberg's voiceover and how he brought life to a real cat. The cat's personality matches his voice perfectly and it is a delight to experience. The random outbursts from Mango made me chuckle, like when he keeps telling the homeless man, "Brush your teeth." It is a bit random, but the picture on screen and the cat's voice makes that interaction hilarious. I can certainly see this film screened at film festivals.
The film's message is about not taking anything for granted. Mango was so used to a semi-privileged lifestyle that, when his world turned upside-down, he lost a sense of self. Mango had to learn how to process feelings that he was unaware of. It's a beautiful message for children or adults as we can lose touch with what is real and what we desire our reality to be. As an adult, it made me reflect on how I would process my emotions if I came across a situation where everyone in my life just up and left without any explanation.
I give Saving Mango - A Cat's Story 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 5 to 18, plus adults. Cat lovers will particularly enjoy this, but really anyone will. By Bria H., KIDS FIRST!
The story of this film focuses on the emotional response of a cat named Mango, who lives a suburbanite life with his suburban family. The family leaves and is involved in a car accident and Mango is forced to survive on his own - missing them and hoping they will return someday.
This is a terrific film movie that would be enjoyed by adults and children alike. I love how the film transports the audience into the mind a cat and how it reacts to the situation he finds himself in. There is a misconception that only dogs miss their families, when in reality, cats have an emotional connection to their owners as well. I was impressed by how the cat's movements match the narration. For example, in one scene there is a man who tries to provoke Mango with a rock, but Mango stares him down and says something like, "I am not a dog! Stop! I am not a dog." Plus, the eye movements of the cat match the narration. I did not enjoy the scene with the snake; it happens very suddenly and made me very uncomfortable. The cinematography is commendable and follows Mango as he moves about the house and outside. When the man takes Mango to a home and rings the doorbell, it is raining and the light is dim; it feels like the man is trying to get the cat to its home on a rainy day. I enjoyed some of the shaky camera movements like when Mango is transported by the man, the camera shakes a bit to showcase the tension between Mango's thoughts and what is going on. There are not a many other actors because the story is focused on Mango, but we do see a little girl, a man who seems to be homeless and the grandpa. The set design is pretty minimal; we see the kitchen floor, an outside area with a lot of leaves and a road. The director doesn't focusing much on the locations, which would have been a distraction. There is a selection of background music that is very nonintrusive - gentle piano music and nature sounds primarily. In the two scenes that turn dark the score ramps up and gets louder to match Mango's emotions. In the beginning, the effects are solid. I was not distracted by the cat, but around the twenty-five-minute mark, the CGI effects seem a bit off-putting. Those effects go away and I became invested in the story again. Mango goes through a great deal of character development. In the beginning, his voice seems to have a sense of pride with a bit of snarky humor. As the story progresses, his attitude turns into self-assurance, but with a sense of longing. The homeless man does not have many lines, but when he is on screen, he captivates the scene by unintentionally playing off the dialogue Mango has in his mind. The grandpa allows the cat to make up his mind about wanting to leave or stay. The director, Oren Peled, describes the inspiration behind the film as when his cat Simba, who plays Mango in the film, went missing - that event led him to craft this movie. His wife also helped craft the story. Oren mentioned why cat films starring real cats is not big. He noted that cats are extremely hard to control, especially when the camera is rolling. Since cats are reluctant by nature and skeptical of anyone who is not a member of the family, a real cat can be a nightmare to work with. So Peled decided to only have the family members that Simba knew as crew for the film and that made Simba more comfortable and made the filming go smoother.
My favorite part of the film is Mango the Cat! I love Josh Bloomberg's voiceover and how he brought life to a real cat. The cat's personality matches his voice perfectly and it is a delight to experience. The random outbursts from Mango made me chuckle, like when he keeps telling the homeless man, "Brush your teeth." It is a bit random, but the picture on screen and the cat's voice makes that interaction hilarious. I can certainly see this film screened at film festivals.
The film's message is about not taking anything for granted. Mango was so used to a semi-privileged lifestyle that, when his world turned upside-down, he lost a sense of self. Mango had to learn how to process feelings that he was unaware of. It's a beautiful message for children or adults as we can lose touch with what is real and what we desire our reality to be. As an adult, it made me reflect on how I would process my emotions if I came across a situation where everyone in my life just up and left without any explanation.
I give Saving Mango - A Cat's Story 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 5 to 18, plus adults. Cat lovers will particularly enjoy this, but really anyone will. By Bria H., KIDS FIRST!
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