It seems there are three kinds of Parisians: selfish, shallow, oversexed snobs; eccentric but neighborly people who are always ready to lend a hand; and women with big soulful eyes who must learn the difference between the two. When The Cat's Away focuses on a fashion designer's assistant (Garance Clavel) who falls into the third category. She's attractive, but she's a lonely soul whose cat's disappearance leads her on an odyssey all over her neighborhood, where she makes a bunch of friends of the sort worth having. She even meets some cute guys! When The Cat's Away gets plenty of mileage out of its telegenic and Ben Hur-sized cast, but that's an odd strength given the story's almost unbelievable slightness. A ways into the second reel, Clavel has lost almost all interest in finding her lost cat; she stops searching and finds out about the people in her neighborhood, letting the everyday events of her life carry her… nowhere. Then the cat's fate is revealed, and the movie is over. When The Cat's Away is tough to dislike, but that's about all.