Cats ** (2019, Francesca Hayward, Rebel Wilson, James Corden, Ian McKellen, Judi Dench, Jennifer Hudson) – Movie Review

Director Tom Hooper’s belated movie version of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s beloved iconic stage musical Cats (2019) is painless, apart from the restless hand held camera and the CGI, which are painful. The film doesn’t look good, and it should, it must. There cannot be a shot in the entire movie that’s not CGI, and so this means we can’t tell if anyone is actually dancing what looks like great choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler, because a lot of it is faked. A nervous Hooper doesn’t trust the show, the music, the singing or the dancing – and he needs to. So send in the CGI.

It starts well enough and is intriguing and atmospheric for a while, but then dips with the lowbrow comedy of Rebel Wilson and James Corden as fat cats Jennyanydots and Bustopher Jones, but then picks up towards the end with Ian McKellen as Gus The Theatre Cat and Judi Dench as Old Methuselah, oh sorry, Old Deuteronomy, and little of Wilson and Corden.

McKellen and Dench are both well respected and effective, croaking a couple of memorable songs, and just, well, being there, as Cats! They are both very sweet. Francesca Hayward makes a sweetly bland impression as the heroine cat Victoria. Jennifer Hudson, as Grizabella, shouts her way through the show-stopper Memory, while, acting-wise, has little to do except look rather tragic.

There’s no actual story. It’s just a serious of pussy profiles, and songs and dances, cue the next number, then the next, a series of pop videos. That was probably great on stage. Somehow it’s not here. The film does make you want to check out a stage performance of Cats. Some of the time, it’s hard to know what it’s on about. Jellicles? What? Sorry? As sung here the lyrics are sometimes hard to follow, but then that’s probably no matter.

On the plus side, Webber’s music holds up pretty well, and there’s a nice new song, ‘Beautiful Ghosts’ (music/lyrics by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Taylor Swift), which has swung the film’s sole Golden Globe nomination. And, when we can see it through all the CGI, the production design by Eve Stewart is spectacular, the costume design by Paco Delgado is gorgeous, and the multi dance style choreography is infectiously jazzy.

Also in the cats, I mean cast, are Laurie Davidson as Mr Mistoffelees, Taylor Swift as Bombalurina, Idris Elba as Macavity, Mette Towley as Cassandra, Jason Derulo as Rum Tum Tugger, Robbie Fairchild as Munkustrap, Ray Winstone as Growltiger and Naoimh Morgan as Rumpleteazer.

Oscar voters will judge the improved version of the film playing in cinemas after the unfinished visual effects seen on the film’s opening on 20 December 2019 were replaced with new effects.

The stage version is the fourth longest-running show in Broadway history and the sixth longest-running in London’s West End. It ran for 20 years, is the fourth highest grossing stage musical ever and won the Tony for best musical. The film is the first movie adaptation of Cats since a 1998 BBC made-for-TV movie, a star cast including Elaine Paige and Sir John Mills.

Tom Hooper directed Les Misérables (2012).

It is the first time Old Deuteronomy is female. Judi Dench described her character as transsexual. In 1981 she was cast in the original London stage production as Jennyanydots and Grizabella. But, just before opening night, she was injured and forced to quit, and was replaced by Elaine Paige.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Movie Review

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com