Review of Cat`s Meow, The

Introduction

Charlie Chaplin was at one time the most famous person in the world. The first movie star so to speak. William Randolph Hearst was the century`s first newspaper mogul. Long before Rupert Murdock made his mark, W. R. Hearst owned newspapers the length and breadth of the states and when he couldn`t report the news, he would make it himself. The character of Charles Foster Kane was allegedly based on Hearst, something that irritated Hearst no end before his death. Marion Davies was a movie actress who happened to be Hearst`s mistress. Thomas Harper Ince was the man who created the film industry as we know it. It was his business skills that organised studios into film units, and allowed for the production of more than one film at a time. The way films are made today. In 1924, these luminaries and other influential people of 1920`s America were invited on Hearst`s yacht, the Oneida to celebrate the birthday of Thomas Ince. Yet two days later, the yacht returned to port and one of the guests was mortally injured. This guest later died and after a quick cremation, the story was forgotten. There wasn`t an investigation and no one spoke of the matter, it was almost as if there was a pact of silence over the events of that fateful weekend. This isn`t fiction; this is all a matter of historical record. A long ago buried dark chapter of Hollywood history that I was never aware of. The Cat`s Meow is a conjecture of the events of those days, the most popular theory of what occurred on that yacht.

Video

The Cat`s Meow is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic transfer. This is a recent film and as you would expect the transfer is nigh on flawless. The image is sharp and well defined and the colours are strong and lush. Peter Bogdanovich directs and his handling of the characters and interactions is tight and controlled. The Cat`s Meow is an opulent period piece and the film design is marvellous with 1920`s America recreated in the set designs and the costumes. The limited palette of colours for the characters` garb is in stark contrast to the warm browns and rich lighting of the yacht interiors.

Audio

The sound is a DD 5.1 track with English and Spanish subtitles. This is a dialogue driven movie and the sound perfectly recreates that, what limited uses the surrounds are put to are mostly for atmosphere. There is a great deal of 1920`s music in this film and this helps more than anything to set the mood of the period.

Features

This is my first Region 1 review and I can finally see for myself what all the fuss is about. The Cat`s Meow isn`t exactly a mainstream release, yet it comes burdened down with a heap of extras. The Anatomy of a Scene is a 25-minute piece that looks at the Birthday Party scene in detail, and there is also some input on the characters and story from the cast. There is a 21-minute Featurette called It Ain`t As Easy As It Looks, which looks at the making of, this is unusual as it shows the rehearsals against the finished product. There are some 11 minutes of interview with the cast and crew. As you would expect, there is the trailer as well. Set in the silent movie era, Lionsgate have put a couple of silents on the disc as well. There is an 11- minute newsreel from the period, with a glimpse into Hollywood society and there is the 21-minute Chaplin short, Behind the Screen. I can`t comment critically on the Chaplin movie as I share Edmund Blackadder`s disdain for the slug balancer. (With apologies to Richard Curtis and Ben Elton) Suffice it to say that I found it a great cure for insomnia. Finally there is the audio commentary by director Peter Bogdanovich. It is good and informative if a little dry. While all the featurettes are subtitled, you should be aware that the commentary isn`t.

Conclusion

It`s a matter of historical record who died after the events on the Oneida, but throughout the extras on this disc, the identity is kept quiet, as if the mystery is a major selling point for the movie. A quick Internet search can point you to the facts of the event, but I`ll respect the convention of this disc and remain silent on the victim`s identity. I was initially attracted to this movie by the list of real life characters that were caught up in these events. It`s the same kind of rabid curiosity that has us reading the tabloids for salacious gossip regarding current celebrities. Unfortunately, the film didn`t live up to my expectations. The Cat`s Meow is adapted from the stage play, and its roots are more than evident in the somewhat claustrophobic sets and static feel to the story. The cast is variable. Eddie Izzard plays Charlie Chaplin and his interpretation was to lose Chaplin`s entire screen persona and try and portray the real man beneath. The other major problem is that the Robert Downey Jr established the definitive Chaplin in the movie of the same name, and Izzard rightly doesn`t even bother competing with that performance. Sadly, what is left of the character is barely recognizable and while Izzard does well as the other man in the Hearst-Davies-Chaplin triangle, his performance is never eye grabbing. Kirsten Dunst as Marion Davies is the epitome of a silent movie starlet. She simply screams screen goddess and her portrayal is everything that Izzard`s isn`t. Edward Herrmann as W. R. Hearst is good and his jealousy towards Chaplin is palpable if a little overstated at times. My problem with this portrayal of the Hearst character is the sheer pathetic nature of the man. This was one of the most powerful men in media, yet in this movie Hearst is written as a lovesick and vulnerable, often frightened control freak. This schism in character hardly seems plausible. Cary Elwes is excellent as the manipulative Thomas Ince and his machinations are far more believable of his character. Joanna Lumley is excellent as the smouldering Elinor Glyn and she has some choice witticisms to throw, but I feel her character was underused. I`ve never been a fan of Jennifer Tilly and she is at her irritating `best` as the gossip columnist, Louella Parsons.

This movie was unimpressive, despite the story and the setting. The biggest problem was that all of the characters were thoroughly detestable. This high society party was a showcase of twenties hedonism, where indulgence and self-aggrandizement were the order of the day. The film examines the characters more base emotions and the jealousy, lust and manipulation often come across as one-dimensional. There are the token additions of a couple of puritan characters to comical effect, but they are hardly distraction from the main thrust of the story. Perhaps too much time has passed since the events fictionalised in this film, but I had very little empathy with any of the players in this little drama. I didn`t feel as if they were historical representations and as a result, this film became the story of just a sordid little murder, motivated by jealousy and lust. This story is all too common and usually the subject of cheap television movies. The Cat`s Meow is good for the period spectacle and the disc is packed with extras, it`s just a shame about the movie.