If you're a die-hard cat person, Chatty Catties might pique your interest, but if your movie needs aren't met with cute pets alone then it may be a flop. The seemingly low-budget comedy by relatively new director Pablo Valencia follows the life of alcoholic dental assistant Shelby (Megan Hensley from The Haunting of Alice D) and her tabby cat Leonard (voiced by John Autry II) in an alternate world where cats can talk to humans. Chatty Catties is mostly shot through Leonard's perspective as his human goes through everyday life. Together the two navigate as an unlikely pair; Leonard gives Shelby unfiltered advice about her relationship and career, while Shelby whines, binge-drinks and neglects him.
Chatty Catties is one of those films that is so bad it's almost good, though the overall plot is lost within quirky vignettes and corny dialogue—which greatly detracts from the frequent and appreciated candid cat scenes—but the dry humor is enough to make you chuckle and cringe.
As Shelby lacks the motivation and responsibility to care for Leonard, other cat moms are featured in conversational bits with their felines in forced (and failed) attempts to be funny. None of the human actors seem confident in their roles, which makes the film quality equivalent to that of a YouTube video.
Now, this cheeseball isn't all negative numbers, as all of the cats are voiced by deaf or hard-of-hearing actors, which allows them to work in roles that don't relate to their disability. And hey—cats are cute. So, set aside Shelby's over-the-top one-liners and the many poorly executed scenes and you've got yourself a pretty OK cat flick. (Kim Jones)
+ Represents deaf community; Cats are cute
- Inconsistent plot; Bad acting
Chatty Catties
Jean Cocteau Cinema,
NR,
84 min.
Santa Fe Reporter