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Our movie reviewer, James Finnegan says ‘Cats’ is a fantasy fable that makes for a memorable viewing experience…
SIGMUND Freud once said that “Time with Cats is never wasted”.
While he was not specifically refereeing to the new film, based on Andrew Lloyd Webber’s stage musical, which was in turn based on T.S.Eliot’s “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats”, I think it can be applied to this production.
Many have been talking about the digital fur technology, and how in some scenes you can see Judi Dench’s hand instead of fur.
‘Cats’.
Well, if you are looking for the gritty realism of the streets, I would suggest that Musical Theatre is not perhaps the best place to find it, with perhaps the nearest being Director Tom Hooper’s previous contribution to this genre with “The Glums”, or as you probably know it better, “Les Miserables”.
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If, however, you come into this film, and just go with the premise, it is a memorable viewing experience.
The plot, such as it is, has been amended slightly from the stage version to make it more cinematic. Therefore, Victoria the White Cat, now acts as the central character who takes us through the story.
Played wonderfully by ballet dancer Francesca Hayward, she is abandoned by the only human we see, right at the start of the film, is adopted by the Jellicle group and allowed to witness the Jellicle Choice to be made by Old Deuteronomy.
Macavity, the baddie of the film, wants to be the Jellicle Choice as it is the opportunity to be born into a better life, so he spends the film magically getting rid of his competition for this honour.
The cast is simply purrfect. The aforementioned Judi Dench plays Old Deuteronomy, in a gender flip from the stage, in what could be described as her now traditional regal manner.
It is also fitting as Dench was to appear in the stage version as Grizabella until injury saw her replaced by Elaine Paige.
In this version, it is Jennifer Hudson who plays this role and therefore gets to sing the main song “Memories”, and she makes a fine job of it. Idris Elba releases his inner pantomime villain as Macavity, aided and abated by Taylor Swift (Bombalurina) and Ray Winstone (Growltiger).
Other cast members are James Corden (Bustopher Jones), Rebel Wilson (Jennyanydots), Ian McKellen (Gus the Theatre Cat) and Laurie Davidson, as the top hatted magician cat, Mr Mistoffelees, all of whom bring their feline personalities through in a thoroughly charming manner.
There is just one scene involving cockroaches that smallies might have a problem with, but it is very brief and probably the adults will make more about it than it deserves.
Set in a whimsical, ethereal, fantastical 1920’s London, a stylised Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, Russell Square and the various side streets and alleyways are used as backdrops for the adventures.
This is a simply a film, with great music and dance, that is a fantasy fable about Cats, just like the title says. Enjoy!
