The Andrew Lloyd Weber Broadway musical, CATS, is a classic. Aaaaand, I’ve never seen it. I’ve seen snippets a-plenty on award shows and the like, but never the hole thing. So I went into the movie version of CATS with only a little knowledge, few pre-conceived notions, and a lot of hope. My friend, who went with me, knew absolutely nothing about the show and, so, lent a unique perspective. We definitely saw the movie differently and so we present our movie review as A Tale of Two CATS with some random thoughts, in no particular order.
My initial impression and random thoughts on CATS:
It took the first few songs before I grasped that these were cats on the streets of London (their own little world because humans were only suggested and businesses had cat-pun names), and that we were looking at things from the size perspective of cats.
I liked the humorous parts which were mainly provided by James Cordon and Rebel Wilson.
You never knew who you could trust in the movie, even to the end but that’s probably the point because Victoria, the lead character, was new to the group, getting introduced to the gang one song at a time.
And what’s up with Victoria, the new cat in town, cozying up to every male cat? Is she proving that cats are fickle?
Great dancing. The tap dancing piece on the railroad was the highlight of the whole movie. I wish it had lasted longer.
Taylor Swift was a pleasant surprise – saucy and hot, not just poppy.
Judi Dench? Well, she can do no wrong. She was the most beloved cat among the other cats as Old Deuteronomy. And she was certainly the most beloved character to me – warm, elegant, and so multi-dimensional. She’s just amazing.
Instead of hugs or kisses, the cats do what cats do and rub the sides of their heads against things and each other, and nuzzle. It’s actually very sweet, especially between Victoria and Old Deuteronomy. It’s like the animal version of human “air kisses” but with more sincerity. We could learn a thing or two about cats from CATS.
I’m betting Jennifer Hudson will be nominated for an Academy Award. Her acting and singing performances will tear your heart out. And Taylor Swift and Andrew Lloyd Webber will get nominated for Best Song for Beautiful Ghosts. It’s beautiful and stands out as a counter to Grizabella’s iconic Memory. Taylor’s song, which is sung in the movie by Victoria, is her counter to Grizabella’s sadness over her previous, glamorous life. Victoria is young and was abandoned and has nothing wonderful to look back on. Newcomer Francesca Hayward, who is also a ballerina, does a haunting version before Taylor’s version over closing credits.
My friend’s initial impression and random thoughts on CATS:
I couldn’t make out a single word of the majority of the songs, nor why cats were dancing around. I mean, are they cat-people? Or ghosts? Or just cats?
It was hard to find or follow a storyline when the first chunk of the movie is just spent introducing the characters to new cat in town, Victoria. A long ways in, it became apparent that this was a competition of sorts, and that the winner would get to… I’m still not sure what was happening – does the winner get to go to Heaven? To “real life”? To some other state of being?
With the story (such as it was) being driven by songs and only a few words of dialogue, it was similar to opera in that lines are repeated over and over again in the course of songs. I kept wanting to say “Ya, ya, ya, we get it! Move on!”
Cat-lovers will enjoy the movie for recognition of things cats do. And they’ll see the comparisons to human life like feeling like an outsider, on the fringes, being misunderstood, bullying, and being desperate to belong.
Our overall opinion on the movie CATS?
If you’re already a fan of CATS, you will probably love it because it takes the musical to the next level, visually. If you love cats, the animals, you’ll get a kick out of it and it will make you look at your cat in new ways, wondering what kind of secret life they might lead.
It helps to think of the movie, CATS, as an art piece – with minimal dialogue, long songs, unique cinematography, amazing dancing, it’s not your usual flick.
It’s fun to see favorite actors all furred up, with expressive ears and tails (the effects are pretty amazing). Idris Elba is downright evil. Ian McKellen, as the theater cat, is touching and melancholy. And Judi Dench, well, as mentioned, she is, gotta say it…the cat’s meow.
CATS is in theaters now. Visit the official website for some fun and behind-the-scenes details.
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