The Cat's Meow (2001)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

Peter Bogdanovich

Writers (WGA):

Steven Peros (play)
Steven Peros (screenplay)

Release Date:

19 September 2002 (Australia)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

"The Whisper Told Most Often..."

Plot:

Semi-true story of the Hollywood murder that occurred at a star-studded gathering aboard William Randolph Hearst's yacht in 1924.

Plot Keywords:

Umbrella | Pianist | Hypodermic Needle | Ambulance | Male Female Relationship

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Kirsten Dunst	...	Marion Davies
Edward Herrmann	...	William Randolph Hearst
Eddie Izzard	...	Charlie Chaplin
Cary Elwes	...	Thomas H. Ince
Joanna Lumley	...	Elinor Glyn
Jennifer Tilly	...	Louella Parsons
Claudia Harrison	...	Margaret Livingston
Victor Slezak	...	George Thomas
James Laurenson	...	Dr. Daniel Goodman
Ronan Vibert	...	Joseph Willcombe
Chiara Schoras	...	Celia
Claudie Blakley	...	Didi
Ingrid Lacey	...	Jessica Barham
John C. Vennema	...	Frank Barham
Steven Peros	...	Elinor's Driver

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for sexuality, a scene of violence and brief drug use.

Runtime:

114 min

Country:

USA | Germany | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Portugal:M/12 | Finland:K-11 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Singapore:NC-16 | UK:12A | USA:PG-13 | Canada:PG (Ontario)

Filming Locations:

Kyparisi, Greece

Company:

CP Medien AG

Trivia:

Released theatrically in US. In UK, it was originally released on TV, but was given a theatrical release after its TV success.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The Walther PPK pistol was not produced until 1931, nor would it have a plastic finger extension on the magazine's base plate.

Quotes:

Charlie Chaplin: Did you really believe I would stay away?
Marion Davies: No, but you should really believe I didn't want you here.

Movie Connections:

References Yolanda (1924)

Soundtrack:

(In My Sweet Little) Alice Blue Gown

Enjoyable, flawed, and yet...

I went to see this movie not expecting much but was pleasantly surprised to find it was a light gaudy slightly malicious but brightly told tale of the rumored murder of Thomas Ince, It was great fun to watch, beautifully shot, with some very sharp dialogue and tasty performances.

I especially enjoyed Cary Elwes as the desperate, conniving Thomas Ince and much of Edward Herrmann's Hearst, the scenes with Elwes with their cat and mouse dialogue sparkled with wit. Kirsten I thought was quite lovable and good but still too young - I didn't believe she was Marion Davies, but more like a teenage version of Marion. Eddie Izzard was a charming, cunning, self assured Charlie Chaplin, but I didn't see the lechery that should have oozed out of him. Joanne Lumley was delicious as the jaded Elinor Gyn.

I did notice a slight frustration with some of the scenes. I wanted a bit more emphasis or drama to accent some of them, they all seemed to play at the same intensity and some of the reaction shots could had more omfph. But still I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Then the next day I started critique it more and noticed more flaws in the movie. The story didn't seem to gather momentum as it went on, but seemed too even in tone and pace. I imagined better ways to shoot some of the scenes and wished for a more mordant tone because the story is a pretty dark one after all. I thought, this seemed to have been shot with the budget and schedule of a TV movie, and was there no time or money to shoot alternative shots, or second takes for the actors?

But then something about the ending made me go back and reassess many of the scenes. Perhaps because I was caught up in the sort of flappergirl feel of the movie, that I did not see that there were secrets and competitions, all sorts of hidden things going on below the gaiety.

It's kind of like Memento, maybe you don't know quite what you are seeing. I wish I could watch it again, because I'm not sure if it's my imagination or if there is re