I visited the Gate Cinema on a day off to enjoy a double-bill of A Cat In Paris and then This Must Be The Place.

The first is a beautiful hand-drawn French animation following the adventures of a feline friend when his day-time family life and night-time burglar life become entwined with some local gangsters. The film is very funny; both for children and adults, and is entertaining throughout. Superior family animation.

The Must Be The Place is a little more complicated. The story of a rock star (played brilliantly by Sean Penn) who hasn’t played music for many years. He is living a life of boredom and routine, which is shaken up by the death of his father who he hasn’t spoken to since the age of fifteen. He goes on a quest to find the Nazi officer that tormented his father during WWII.

The film is essentially a road-trip. Characters come and go, other stories are touched on.

Overall I found the film to be very entertaining, with great performances. The main story arc didn’t quite work for me – it seemed to jar with the characters in the film (I realise that this may have been the point, though). It is a case of the journey being more pleasant than the destination, I guess.

Also, a fantastic soundtrack.