73
Metascore
11 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 88Philadelphia InquirerCarrie RickeyPhiladelphia InquirerCarrie RickeyCats is many things: a film diary of an odd-couple relationship, a profile of a forgotten man who slowly reconstructs his past, and the transcendently moving account of a man on the margins who gets reintegrated into society.
- 80New York Magazine (Vulture)David EdelsteinNew York Magazine (Vulture)David EdelsteinIt's one of the best kinds of documentaries--not calculated but serendipitous.
- 80VarietyRonnie ScheibVarietyRonnie ScheibAlways surprising documentary makes excellent use of its many serendipidities.
- 80The New York TimesJeannette CatsoulisThe New York TimesJeannette CatsoulisThe result is a movie that evolves naturally from the filmmaker's compassion for her subject; as much as possible, she remains off camera, and her immense act of charity is never permitted to become the film's focus. Instead this remarkable documentary offers a brief but satisfying look at a defiantly self-sufficient life.
- 75TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonaghTV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonaghThe person who can resist a formerly homeless senior citizen gradually restored to sufficient stability to the degree that he can take in his own "castaway cat" is hard-hearted indeed.
- 75Chicago TribuneMichael WilmingtonChicago TribuneMichael WilmingtonThe Cats of Mirikitani seems all too short; it has enough meat to be turned into an excellent dramatic film.
- 75Seattle Post-IntelligencerBill WhiteSeattle Post-IntelligencerBill WhiteIn its best moments, The Cats of Mirikitani captures both the tragedy and transcendence of his life, from the Sacramento-born, Hiroshima-raised youth who returned to the States in 1937 rather than join the Japanese Imperial Army, to the proudly self-sufficient man who struggled through New York's fierce winters until gaining recognition both as an artist and a human being.
- 70SalonAndrew O'HehirSalonAndrew O'HehirAn irresistible fable of reconciliation and forgiveness.
- 70Chicago ReaderJonathan RosenbaumChicago ReaderJonathan RosenbaumThe storytelling is so masterful that Hattendorf doesn't have to spell out the striking parallels between the persecution of Japanese after Pearl Harbor and the harassment of Muslims after 9/11.
- 50New York PostV.A. MusettoNew York PostV.A. MusettoMirikitani is a colorful character and talented artist, and his story tugs at the heart. Problem is, Hattendorf insists on inserting herself in what seems like every other scene, a device that dilutes Jimmy's story.