Cats: the movie

[Motomum]

I've just gotten home from watching Cats with my 11 yr old and his friend, I loved it, so did they, giving it 8 out of ten. I agree.

 I went expecting to hate it. I hadn't seen the stage version, so had no comparison as a starting point.

It really was a festive treat, Francesca Hayward was lovely, appearing in just about every scene. She has a really beautiful expressive face which added to her role. I was surprised that she sang, I am hoping it was indeed her.

Steven McRae's tap dancing was phenomenal! 

 

I can't work out why the film received zero or only one star reviews, I didn't read them beforehand as I really wanted to come to my own opinion without the critics words and spoilers reverberating in my head.

 

Three people walked out of the screening this afternoon, about 30 minutes in; this got me thinking about the negative reviews on the way home. I think perhaps this is a film where there is no middle ground, you either just love straight away, or you don't. It has an unusual rather unreal quality to it, not quite magical, but an unusual 'feel.'

 

If you love the poems of T.S Eliot and the music of ALW, and want to watch some wonderful cats with human faces, then go, suspend disbelief and enjoy.

[MargaretN7]

4 hours ago, Motomum said:

Francesca Hayward was lovely, appearing in just about every scene. She has a really beautiful expressive face which added to her role. I was surprised that she sang, I am hoping it was indeed her.

 

Yes, it was indeed Francesca singing. 

 

I took my son to see the stage show of Cats for his 10th birthday outing. He has just taken me to the film for a 75th birthday outing. We both enjoyed it.

[alison]

Just moving some of the feedback into a new thread - I'll probably move more posts over in due course when I have the time, so bear with me.

[Bruce Wall]

8 hours ago, MargaretN7 said:

Yes, it was indeed Francesca singing. 

 

I took my son to see the stage show of Cats for his 10th birthday outing. He has just taken me to the film for a 75th birthday outing. We both enjoyed it.

 

Many happy returns, Margaret and a truly joyous Noel.  What an amazing history you have been able to witness.  

[Odyssey]

I found this an enjoyable film and certainly undeserving of the curmudgeonry one star awarded by many of the critics. What were they expecting? The songs from Cats have never seemed consistently strong to me, although I do like Memories  (which I think Jennifer Hudson performs here extremely well) , and because there isn’t a strong storyline, I can understand it might not have the appeal of say Les Mis. I thought there were some lovely individual performances, not least from our two Royal Ballet stars. Stephen McRae  has received very little mention, yet his is a gem of a part to dazzle us with his tap dancing skills. I think Francesca Hayward was very fortunate in landing this role -and I don’t mean this in a way that is at all derogatory. There is more acting and singing, and not as much solo dancing as I expected. I’m also at odds with the majority of the  critics in how the cats look. I love the facial makeup, and the moving ears and tails  combined with the catlike movements work well. The controversial body suits were not an issue for me and the London settings were beautifully realised. A nice way to spend a couple of hours away from all the Christmas shoppers.

 

 

[Jeannette]

I thoroughly enjoyed it. Francesca Hayward so beautiful and expressive. McRea also excellent. Well done!

Edited December 23, 2019 by Jeannette

[Blossom]

Saw the movie with the whole family tonight. The kids enjoyed it, I loved the songs as grew up with the poems as well as listening to the cast recording. Steven Macrae was brilliant as Skimbleshanks, his tap routine was probably my favourite of all the dance routines. Francesca Hayward was perfect for the role of Victoria, as a Royal Ballet dancer, she is capable of so much drama with her eyes alone! Was lovely to hear her sing and of course she brought so much talent dance wise. My husband who is a ballet refusenik could see that she and Macrae were a cut above the rest.

 

Having some semblance of a story and dialogue did help pull it all together which is why I think the children enjoyed it. James Corden was pretty good as Bustopher Jones and also loved Mr Mistofelees. 

 

Unfortunately though, beyond the songs it was a bit of a car crash of a movie. Cats is a very marmite production- people love it or hate it, but is less forgiving on film than the stage show for many reasons, the 2 main ones being:-

 

1. The CGI - so poor in places, from details like the computer animated cats tails which were just plain weird to bigger picture dance routines which were obviously green screened but just didn’t look natural or real enough. Some of the green screen elements were too crudely pasted onto the background.

 

2. Something wasn’t quite right about a lot of the singing
 

For many reasons was wonderful to share with the kids and off to find my copy of TS Elliot’s book and to download the original cast recording... and maybe to force them to watch the stage show which is currently available on Sky Arts.

 

[maryrosesatonapin]

6 hours ago, Blossom said:

The CGI - so poor in places, from details like the computer animated cats tails which were just plain weird to bigger picture dance routines which were obviously green screened but just didn’t look natural or real enough. Some of the green screen elements were too crudely pasted onto the background.

 

 

 

I haven't seen the film but what you say echoes what other people I know have said, after viewing.  It makes me cross that the producers would use wonderful performers like Dench, Hayward and Mccrae and then not even get the CGI right.  It's disrespectful to those performers who gave it their all and are now tainted by the failure of others.  Grrrrr.  I'm not going to see it - it sounds indigestible

[Bruce Wall]

Saw the film and agree that Hayward and McRae come off very well.  Just a plug for Robbie Fairchild - who serves so much (of what there is) of the narrative glue.  I thought his delivery of the spoken (T S Elliot) verse was actually very good as much as that he sung through.  His movement was, as one might expect, also fine and he worked very well with Hayward.  (Did anyone actually catch sight of Cowley?  I did briefly steal a fleeting glimpse of Eric Underwood.)  I felt my attention sometimes was disturbed - certainly jerked - by the constant rapid cutting of the film.  McKellen came off better in this regard as they focused in on his speech as Gus, the Theatrical Cat more than in the other stories of those cats seeking the ultimate prize.  In the theatre this wasn't a problem as there was a unit set.  Of course one understands that they have to 'open up' for the film - but the manner in which they chose to do so was I found at times somewhat awkward. A case of over reach.  Hudson I felt was just vocally out of sorts.  I kept thinking the producers here missed a trick.  Given that the song is called 'memory' the film might well have been made if they were able to get a singing veteran who could still carry the melodic line.  I kept envisaging Leontyne Price.  I know she is 92 ... but in that recent documentary about the Met she voluntarily sings and STILL sounds glorious.  I agree with Fleming when she says 'No one around today has a head voice like she does'.  I was in State Theater on the occasion of Sills' farewell and heard Price sing 'What I Did for Love'.  I remember people with tears streaming down their faces - most especially other singers on stage.  I remember Julie Andrews going over and curtsying in front of her during the applause which would go on and on.  Video here.  I was also in the audience of this concert where she sings Gershwin's Summertime - which she dedicated to Marian Anderson who was also present.  In the pop realm I imagined Diana Ross ... or what of Dame Shirley Bassey? - She's a decade younger than Price.   It could have sewn a heart into this enterprise that was oft, I found, somewhat lacking.  All dressed up, yes, but .... That said ... agree from the performance angle it didn't deserve the extremity of critical drubbing it has received.  Still that too may well serve the producer's pockets in the longer run.  I can see this becoming a cult ... and people purrrading into the Prince Charles Cinema long into the future in any variety of get ups to sing-and-dance-along.  Certainly stranger things have happened!

 

Edited December 26, 2019 by Bruce Wall

[David]

It is hard to understand the extent of the venom this film has attracted, particularly in a generation accustomed to the aberrations of the Marvel and DC Comics films but we have long had ambiguous feelings towards our feline friends and  I suspect the reactions go to something deeper in the human psyche. The ancients regarded cats as sacred,  cats have long been seen as witchs' familiars and their pretty cuddly faces belie their nature as cold killers as anyone who has seen a cat toy with its victim before the kill must attest, a characteristic which we alone in the animal kingdom share. It occurs to me that the Catwoman films have always been  the least successful of their genre. My own feeling is that what we are seeing is just a blip in the development of CGI which still has a long way to go but there is no doubt that Tom Hooper has raised the bar. It will be interesting to see how Matt Reeves 'dresses' Zoe Kravitz as Catwoman when she returns in the new Batman film next year. And how the critics and the fans react!

 

More interesting to me is the effect on Francesca Hayward's career.  The camera loves her face, her picture is everywhere we look and her acting abilities are out there for all to see. Moira Shearer didn't return to Sadler's Wells after 'The Red Shoes' and continued her career in films, Cyd Charisse came from the Chicago Ballet, Gene Kelly discovered Leslie Caron in the Paris Ballet. Neither returned to the ballet world. Nor despite his good intentions, has Robert Fairchild; and I see Leanne Cope's genre is now described as Musical Theatre in Wikipedia. The casting agents with their siren voices will come calling. The pressure will be hard to resist and why should she. Her world has changed.   

[bridiem]

32 minutes ago, David said:

More interesting to me is the effect on Francesca Hayward's career.  The camera loves her face, her picture is everywhere we look and her acting abilities are out there for all to see. Moira Shearer didn't return to Sadler's Wells after 'The Red Shoes' and continued her career in films, Cyd Charisse came from the Chicago Ballet, Gene Kelly discovered Leslie Caron in the Paris Ballet. Neither returned to the ballet world. Nor despite his good intentions, has Robert Fairchild; and I see Leanne Cope's genre is now described as Musical Theatre in Wikipedia. The casting agents with their siren voices will come calling. The pressure will be hard to resist and why should she. Her world has changed.   

 

Why should she resist? Well, because she is uniquely talented as a ballerina, and still growing both technically and artistically. Cats will have been an interesting and rewarding challenge for her in terms of mechanics of making a film, but (apart from the song, I suppose) will not have challenged her at all in terms of either technique or acting. I hope she realises this and doesn't assume that a career of instant stardom would await her in the very competitive (and often very superficial) world of musical theatre/film. She still has so much to give (and to learn) in the field in which she has trained and specialised. After ballet - who knows? But for now, I hope she continues to use her talent to its utmost (whilst enjoying some of the perks of having a higher profile!).

[JohnS]

Absolutely Bridiem.  I’m not sure Cats was quite what was expected - wasn’t Wayne McGregor originally going to be involved which I thought was a factor in dancers signing up?  I think all credit to the Royal Ballet dancers for sticking with the project and and good luck to them if they can build on any kudos from Cats.  But I’m hoping very much Francesca Hayward/Steven McRae will be on stage with the Royal Ballet for many years to come (injuries permitting).  We need to see Francesca Hayward dance Mary Vetsera, and so much more, and having seen Dancing the Nutcracker again, with ballet being such a driving force for her, I’d like to think my hopes are well founded.

[Irmgard]

1 hour ago, David said:

It is hard to understand the extent of the venom this film has attracted, particularly in a generation accustomed to the aberrations of the Marvel and DC Comics films but we have long had ambiguous feelings towards our feline friends and  I suspect the reactions go to something deeper in the human psyche. The ancients regarded cats as sacred,  cats have long been seen as witchs' familiars and their pretty cuddly faces belie their nature as cold killers as anyone who has seen a cat toy with its victim before the kill must attest, a characteristic which we alone in the animal kingdom share. It occurs to me that the Catwoman films have always been  the least successful of their genre. My own feeling is that what we are seeing is just a blip in the development of CGI which still has a long way to go but there is no doubt that Tom Hooper has raised the bar. It will be interesting to see how Matt Reeves 'dresses' Zoe Kravitz as Catwoman when she returns in the new Batman film next year. And how the critics and the fans react!

 

More interesting to me is the effect on Francesca Hayward's career.  The camera loves her face, her picture is everywhere we look and her acting abilities are out there for all to see. Moira Shearer didn't return to Sadler's Wells after 'The Red Shoes' and continued her career in films, Cyd Charisse came from the Chicago Ballet, Gene Kelly discovered Leslie Caron in the Paris Ballet. Neither returned to the ballet world. Nor despite his good intentions, has Robert Fairchild; and I see Leanne Cope's genre is now described as Musical Theatre in Wikipedia. The casting agents with their siren voices will come calling. The pressure will be hard to resist and why should she. Her world has changed.   

Just a small correction.  Moira Shearer danced with the Sadler's Wells Ballet for a good six years after filming "The Red Shoes", retiring in 1953, and danced the premiere of Ashton's "Cinderella" after the film wrapped and was one of the leading ballerinas on the company's first two tours of the United States.  However, she did make at least one more feature film ("The Tales of Hoffmann") while still with the company.  If Hayward is offered more film work, hopefully she will be able to successfully combine it the way Shearer did and for much longer!

[Odyssey]

At the very least I think we can expect to see her being offered quite a few cameo roles similar in kind to Misty Copeland’s appearance in the Nutcracker and the Five Realms. It’s true the camera loves her, but I don’t think we have any evidence as yet that she can deliver a major dramatic role in terms of dialogue. I can see her featuring prominently in any future  Ballet Boy projects, as mentioned by Trevitt and Nunn,  which will bring more ballets to the screen. Her name on the cast list will ensure a wider audience and encourage financial backing. My main hope that she will bring a new, young audience to ballet.

[Jane S]

1 hour ago, Irmgard said:

Just a small correction.  Moira Shearer danced with the Sadler's Wells Ballet for a good six years after filming "The Red Shoes", retiring in 1953, and danced the premiere of Ashton's "Cinderella" after the film wrapped and was one of the leading ballerinas on the company's first two tours of the United States.  However, she did make at least one more feature film ("The Tales of Hoffmann") while still with the company.  If Hayward is offered more film work, hopefully she will be able to successfully combine it the way Shearer did and for much longer!

 

Interesting, though, that when Shearer retired from ballet she was still only 27, the age that Hayward now is!

[Fiz]

I wonder if it is because dancers are encouraged to be proactive about strengthening and having better advice by physiotherapists and about nutrition etc?

[Irmgard]

1 hour ago, Fiz said:

I wonder if it is because dancers are encouraged to be proactive about strengthening and having better advice by physiotherapists and about nutrition etc?

We are slightly getting off the topic of "Cats" here, but I don't think Shearer's retirement had anything to do with not being strong enough - like Beryl Grey, she had been dancing leading roles on the company's gruelling wartime tours during her teens and  indeed had been a principal dancer for several years before she made "The Red Shoes" (at the age of 21!).  By the time she retired, she had also given birth to the first of her four children, and ballerinas in the UK in those days did tend to retire after they had had one or two children.  Plus, she never had the easiest of relationships with Ninette de Valois (which she herself has spoken about), especially after finding international fame independently outside of the company.  (I doubt de Valois realised what a huge hit the film was going to be when she gave her leave to make it, as Shearer was actually better known in the USA than Fonteyn was when the company made its first visit.)  Hayward's position is therefore very different.

[capybara]

The slightly different thing in relation to Francesca Hayward is that she is proceeding to gain well-deserved exposure and renown on several fronts at once:

• for her artistry as a dancer (including film and TV exposure)
• for her acting ability
• as a 'film star'

and, in consequence:

• as an increasingly regular interviewee for magazines and chat shows
• as a sought-after brand endorser (she is a growing presence on social media with an ever-increasing number of 'followers')
• as an invitee to 'high status' events

and, however much she would prefer it not to be emphasised, as a success story for someone of mixed race.

 

I sense that she will maintain her RB base but 'mix and match' as the opportunities arise.

[Picturesinthefirelight]

My son went today and thought it was awful. He isn’t a dancer, he’s a singer and said apart from Taylor Swift it was an insult to musical theatre. He did like Andy Blenkembauer’s choreography (he’s a fan of shows Blenkembauer has done) and spoke about the insanely good tap dancer. (The best thing in the film he said). He appreciated Francesca Howard’s talent too. But the CGI was dreadful and the whole thing was really freaky and weird. 

 

I guess ill I’ll have to go and judge for myself. Cats has never been a favourite of mine but I was able to appreciate it on stage. 

[SeokDoesPilates]

Cats was the first musical I watched as an overseas student in London back in 1989, and the experience blew me away. It would not be fair to compare the movie to live theatre, and leaving aside all comparisons, on the whole I enjoyed the movie and the way the story was told. To be honest, I watched the movie because I am also a fan of the Royal Ballet, and could not pass on the opportunity to see some of my favourite Principals "cross over" into musical theatre/film, and I have to say they did a credible job (a couple of wobbles on some slow balances, but that is my critical ballet eye overthinking things). The CGI was disconcerting in parts, and I thought Francesca Hayward's body looked slightly "distorted" in some shots, but overall, I would say it was an enjoyable experience. Dame Judi Dench and Ian McKellen both gave strong performances (possibly due to their vast experience on stage where they have to project?) and their feline gestures did not detract from their very regal performances. I'd say go watch it with an open mind and enjoy it for what it is. Compliments of the Season to everyone on this Forum!

[David]

2 hours ago, SeokDoesPilates said:

 I'd say go watch it with an open mind and enjoy it for what it is.

 

Hear! Hear!

[Julie 2 Milner]

I went with one son and daughter. The son is not my ballet dancer son. As a child the stage performance mesmerised him. So what did we think? My daughter thought it beyond dreadful, my son agreed it was awful but not the worst he's seen and I was pretty much in that category too. After all did anyone see the first every Pokémon movie? That was the worst.😊

But to give a more serious critique I do think there were some outstanding performances. I thought the narrator brilliant. He carried his role so well, moved well and just did everything very well. Mr Mistoffelees too I felt was very watchable. Steven Mcrae's tap was wonderful. I loved his tap in "Alice in Wonderland" and loved it here too. Ian Mckellen I found spellbinding. The part was made for him. As I think others have commented his was a very stationary, set role and piece which was definitely a benefit. Francesca Hayward was good. For the film I think her singing held up just. So, I guess I think she did very well with what it was but I didn't feel it allowed her to demonstrate hugely any great acting ability. I'm sure she could move that way if she wanted though. Her dancing is very expressive and she is one of the RB dancers one feels confident can act a part and not just dance it.

Now to others. Judi Dench did little for me in this. I've just seen her in the screening of "A Winter's Tale" in which she was just wonderful. She wasn't awful in "Cats" but, for me, she somehow remained a "name", a star they wanted to attract folks in. I'm afraid I though the final song awful. That song normally has a deep resonating richness which was very lacking here.

Jennifer Hudson I didn't warm to as Grizabella. Singing "Memory" must be very much a poisoned chalice as there have been so many wonderful renditions. For me, this wasn't that. The close up of a rather snot covered face didn't help either. Mind you that is always an issue with films/screenings rather than stage, sometimes too close is not good! I know she has very much divided people.

James Corden is someone I'm afraid I just never much like, a fault with me I', sure. He was fine.

Taylor Swift well I didn't even recognise who she was tbh. I thought her singing was ok and her performance also fine. My daughter however really didn't like that bit.

Idris Elba for me was a huge disappointment. I studied "Old Possum's..." and Macavity was always my favourite poem. I think here the poor cgi really showed. His was the one suit I was very distracted by. Again, he wasn't awful.

I would say I saw some cracking dancing and the singing wasn't awful and in places it was very good.

One could not avoid the reviews but I tried to. I knew it had been panned but didn't read any until I had watched it. It isn't awful. It certainly is less than brilliant but for me was far better than the awful Les Mis film (Russell Crowe😖) and I also thought better than the Chicago film with Zeta Jones. There were some outstanding performers let down by some of the concepts and the cgi and method of filming. 

As others have said go to watch with an open mind. It is what it is. If you like the music it is still there. Perhaps too much was expected. Anyway, if you do go enjoy. Happy New Year to all.

[HopelessMummy]

http://www.itsalawyerslife.com/weekend-world-cats-the-movie-review-by-rachel/

 

A review of Cats by a barrister who goes against the grain of the negative views, if anyone is interested

[Fonty]

On 26/12/2019 at 04:30, Bruce Wall said:

  Hudson I felt was just vocally out of sorts.  I kept thinking the producers here missed a trick.  Given that the song is called 'memory' the film might well have been made if they were able to get a singing veteran who could still carry the melodic line.  I kept envisaging Leontyne Price.  I know she is 92 ... but in that recent documentary about the Met she voluntarily sings and STILL sounds glorious.   In the pop realm I imagined Diana Ross ... or what of Dame Shirley Bassey? - She's a decade younger than Price.   It could have sewn a heart into this enterprise that was oft, I found, somewhat lacking.  

 

 

Bruce the clip you show of Price shows a glorious voice, but it is an operatic voice, which personally I think is not right for this type of song.  I have mentioned before that I thought  Hudson's rendition of Memory was not to my taste at all.  I hesitate to use the word "awful", but I think she was doing the modern power ballad approach - start loud and get louder.   There are many modern singers who think the only way to express emotion is to yell.  Dame Shirley Bassey could show them how it should be done, but nowadays she probably doesn't have the international appeal that the producers would insist upon.  

If I might throw another name in the ring, I would suggest someone who is extremely well known and already has splendid credentials as far as movie musicals are concerned, and that is Liza Minnelli.  I once saw her perform Memory in a live stage performance, and she was just brilliant.   

Edited December 28, 2019 by Fonty

[Guest]

I think it would be timely for the Royal Ballet to revive 'La Chatte metamorphose en femme' - for Francesca Hayward of course. 

[Tony Newcombe]

On 26/12/2019 at 16:13, capybara said:

The slightly different thing in relation to Francesca Hayward is that she is proceeding to gain well-deserved exposure and renown on several fronts at once:

• for her artistry as a dancer (including film and TV exposure)
• for her acting ability
• as a 'film star'

and, in consequence:

• as an increasingly regular interviewee for magazines and chat shows
• as a sought-after brand endorser (she is a growing presence on social media with an ever-increasing number of 'followers')
• as an invitee to 'high status' events

and, however much she would prefer it not to be emphasised, as a success story for someone of mixed race.

 

I sense that she will maintain her RB base but 'mix and match' as the opportunities arise.

She was the answer to an Xmas University Challenge question a couple of nights ago!

[Julie 2 Milner]

Well, for comparison I've just sat down to watch the stage "Cats". It was broadcast a few days ago on Sky Arts and I recorded it. I'm sure it can still be downloaded. Should be interesting but the first thing is one criticism was that boobs were evident in the film. Well they are very evident in the stage version too, certainly with screen close ups. The costumes though heaps better than the cgi and therefore one is not focussing on the anatomy so much.

The cast I'm watching now is:

Grizabella the Glamour Cat Elaine Paige

Gus the Theatre Cat John Mills

Old Deuteronomy Ken Page

Bombalurina Rosemarie Ford

Munkustrap Michael Gruber

Rum Tum Tugger John Partridge

Demeter Aeva May

Skimbleshanks the Railway Cat Geoffrey Garratt

Jennyanydots the Gumbie Cat Susie McKenna

Magical Mr Mistoffelees Jacob Brent

 

I also realise I didn't mention Rebel Wilson as Jennyanydots….sorry thought she was awful. I read the lawyers review as posted above which I thought was pretty fair.

Also forgot the Rum Tugger played by Jason Derulo. He was okay I thought.

The weird thing is if one looks at individual performances there is a lot of "great" "fine" and "ok" and relatively little awful so I'm now wondering why the film has jarred with so many. Is it just the cgi? 

[Odyssey]

2 hours ago, Fonty said:

 

Bruce the clip you show of Price shows a glorious voice, but it is an operatic voice, which personally I think is not right for this type of song.  I have mentioned before that I thought  Hudson's rendition of Memory was not to my taste at all.  I hesitate to use the word "awful", but I think she was doing the modern power ballad approach - start loud and get louder.   There are many modern singers who think the only way to express emotion is to yell.  Dame Shirley Bassey could show them how it should be done, but nowadays she probably doesn't have the international appeal that the producers would insist upon.  

If I might throw another name in the ring, I would suggest someone who is extremely well known and already has splendid credentials as far as movie musicals are concerned, and that is Liza Minnelli.  I once saw her perform Memory in a live stage performance, and she was just brilliant.   

It’s always interesting how we respond  differently to individual performers  be it dance or voice. I am not particularly fond of Jennifer Hudson’s power ballads but I thought there was more light and shade in her performance and actually found it quite moving.

On another matter, someone higher up this thread mentioned the appearance of Olivia Crowley and Eric Underwood which I had forgotten about so had failed to notice.  Can anyone enlighten me in what sections they appeared or is there a trailer in which they feature?

[Legseleven]

I thought Ian McKellen - a masterclass in acting a song, Steven McRae - also great at putting across a song in just the right manner, embodying his character completely and of course absolutely fabulous dancing, and Laurie Davidson (the actor playing Mr Mistoffelees) were much the best things in the movie. Much as Francesca Hayward has an expressive (and very beautiful) face which the camera loves, I felt it would have been better for her to have done the bare minimum in terms of singing and certainly not to be given the new song - which is instead sung by Taylor Swift in the credits - and for the role to be more as in the stage version, ie for a dancer. 
I really hope that both Hayward and McRae stay with the Royal Ballet and that he makes a full recovery as soon as possible. 

[Stevie]

I watched it and loved every minute, despite watching people inexplicably walking out part way through. Words about it bombing at the box office abound, with one paper saying it has lost $90 million (despite it costing $70 million to produce), leads me to feel that the media were against it from the beginning.

I thought the CGI was minimal, being mainly used for cat ear and tail movements and so it didn't trouble me at all. It was certainly uplifting with some excellent character acting, singing and dancing.

It is now listed on Amazon, but no release date given for DVD or Blu-Ray, but I will probably chip in for a copy when it is released.

 

 

[Stevie]

On ‎28‎/‎12‎/‎2019 at 19:56, Legseleven said:

I thought Ian McKellen - a masterclass in acting a song, Steven McRae - also great at putting across a song in just the right manner, embodying his character completely and of course absolutely fabulous dancing, and Laurie Davidson (the actor playing Mr Mistoffelees) were much the best things in the movie. Much as Francesca Hayward has an expressive (and very beautiful) face which the camera loves, I felt it would have been better for her to have done the bare minimum in terms of singing and certainly not to be given the new song - which is instead sung by Taylor Swift in the credits - and for the role to be more as in the stage version, ie for a dancer. 
I really hope that both Hayward and McRae stay with the Royal Ballet and that he makes a full recovery as soon as possible. 

 

On ‎28‎/‎12‎/‎2019 at 19:56, Legseleven said:

I thought Ian McKellen - a masterclass in acting a song, Steven McRae - also great at putting across a song in just the right manner, embodying his character completely and of course absolutely fabulous dancing, and Laurie Davidson (the actor playing Mr Mistoffelees) were much the best things in the movie. Much as Francesca Hayward has an expressive (and very beautiful) face which the camera loves, I felt it would have been better for her to have done the bare minimum in terms of singing and certainly not to be given the new song - which is instead sung by Taylor Swift in the credits - and for the role to be more as in the stage version, ie for a dancer. 
I really hope that both Hayward and McRae stay with the Royal Ballet and that he makes a full recovery as soon as possible. 

It was written by Taylor Swift and Andrew L.W.  Taylor has since released it on CD as a single, however Andrew L.W. insisted that Franky sing it in the film and I prefer her softer singing  than the highly commercialised Taylor Swift released version, which tends to , 'bawl' it out to much.

[Richard LH]

I have now seen Cats: The Movie and must say I really cannot understand what all the extremely  adverse reviews and Twittering  was about!

 

I admit that Francesca Hayward was the only reason I went to see the film - I have never seen the musical. I thought Francesca was wonderful in her acting, dancing and even her singing - which was delivered sweetly, naturally and unforced. I was quite surprised to see that her role as Victoria was really the central  one throughout, who (avoiding spoilers) is crucial in resolving the story to a poignant and satisfactory conclusion. And yes, the camera really loves her!  In fact Francesca really holds the whole film together.

 

Steven McRae was great,  as was Robbie Fairchild, and in fact all the actors/dancers/singers gave  very good performances IMO and made the best of the material they were given.

 

Some of the songs that were presumably from the original show were perhaps rather dated, but I loved Francesca's new song as she delivered  it in the film, (where it made much more sense than hearing Taylor Swift's earlier released version out of context). In the same way, the earlier released clips of Jennifer Hudson essentially  screaming out part of  "Memory" made much more sense when seen in the context of her singing the whole song in the film, where it was a sort of crescendo of release (aided by Victoria), after initially singing it softly and sadly. 

 

I thought the cat-people costumes/CGI were fine (I loved the use of the mobile ears and tails) - just that in a few places the scaling of the cats against the scenery seemed inconsistent. Also (given that some of the cats' jumping and movements was clearly artificial) I wondered if any of the dancing had been "enhanced" - although I don't think they would have needed to do that with Francesca, whose usual natural balletic artistry shone out  beautifully.

 

So overall I enjoyed it very much, and would probably even buy a disc version!

 

[JohnS]

Many thanks Richard - I’ve never seen Cats and doubt very much if I’ve ever heard the full ‘Memories’ song but you’ve tempted me with your review so I’ll give it a go.  I also have a free ticket for one film at the local cinema as part of my annual membership and I see there are a few Cats screenings next week.