Do you remember those animations in which the animals wanted to take control of humanity? If you do, then you also remember for sure the evil plans of cats which, despite their seeming innocence with which they charmed us, hide a diabolical mind behind their purring. ‘Feline Paradox‘ pushes this typology to another level, presenting a potential science fiction scenario, with tragicomic accents, in which cats become the dominant species on the earth, transforming people into pets as well. Inspired by the multitude of cinematic and literary references that orbit around the concept of time machine, Ben Reicher’s short animation is a dynamic and refreshing odyssey through the whims and risks of temporal flow, also using a series of fantastic elements by which the director reconsiders, in a fictional near future, the struggle for the dominance of species specific to natural selection. Humour and cynicism are the essential spices of this animation, accessible to any audience that most likely will see in this foray into an alternative Terra populated by humanoid cats, a bittersweet parable about hierarchical hazards defining all the species, but also about the repeating history, no matter which species win in the fight for supremacy.
When Paul wants to warn his own self from the past on an unpleasant event to happen, he violates an essential rule of time traveling, provoking a series of events that will drastically change life on earth. Will a cat stray through the labyrinth of time can cause an irreparable catastrophe for the human species?
Far from revolutionizing the well-known theme of temporal paradoxes, as we know them both in scientific literature and in the multitude of books and films, Ben Reicher’s animation succeeds, however, in harmoniously combining comic with dramatic without falling into the “lightness” specific to the structure of an animation intended exclusively for children, nor in the “elitism” specific to cinematic projects intended for a pretentious niche audience. This stylistic balance is supported by an attractive dynamic image that, along with musical effects, unpredictable space-time transitions, and cultural references to either the ancient Egypt or to the evolution of art passed through the “feline sensitivity” filter, provides a magnetic fictional universe that makes ‘Feline Paradox’ the ideal animation for those who are looking for an atypical project.
