Cats is the 2019 adaptation of the long-running Broadway musical from composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, which in turn is based on T.S. Eliot’s “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats.” It features an ensemble cast starring James Corden, Dame Judi Dench, Jason Derulo, Idris Elba, Jennifer Hudson, Sir Ian McKellen, Taylor Swift, Rebel Wilson, Ray Winstone and ballerina Francesca Hayward in her first starring role as Victoria. Director Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech, Les Misérables) adapts the musical with co-writer Lee Hall (Billy Elliot, Rocketman) with Andy Blankenbuehler (Hamilton, the 2016 stage revival of Cats) handling choreographing duties. This adaptation is notable for its visual approach of digital fur coverings and motion capture, eschewing the prosthetics and costumes that the stage musical has become known for.
First off, I applaud the filmmakers for taking on such a bold and unique aesthetic. It must have been a challenge to arrive at an updated look of the musical for today’s audiences and avoid a kitschy texture that may work on stage, live and in person, but not necessarily on the big screen. With that said, the titular cats in this film are hybrids, structurally human and otherworldly. They have cat ears on the top of their heads and no human ears on the sides, covered head to toe in fur and whiskers. The digital technology is so real, rendering each individual hair on each individual cat, that at times it is simply too real. It is the uncanny valley incarnate, replacing human flesh and bone with a synthetic impossibility.
The effect at the onset of Cats is off-putting, and takes some time getting used to (if it is ever gotten used to). It takes an open mind to accept the overall look of these creatures and to connect with them on an emotional level. Some audience members will have an easier time forging that connection than others. However, once the texture of the world settles in, what with its oversized sets, vibrant colors and unfettered imagination, those same audience members just may be in for a treat.
The stage musical of Cats became world-renowned and amongst the longest-running musicals ever not only due to its striking look, but because of the songbook from Andrew Lloyd Webber. The entire film is sung start to finish, just like the stage version. Even the synthy-retro feel of the score is retained, with a highlighted addition “Beautiful Ghosts” co-written by Taylor Swift. The film slowly draws us into the strange, somewhat alien world of Cats, with its giant-sized London streets.
The film centers on Francesca Hayward’s performance as Victoria, our entry point into the story. A principal ballerina in the Royal Ballet of Britain, Hayward anchors the surreality with a graceful earnestness. We discover the tribe of the Jellicle cats alongside her, and her wide-eyed expressions are at times captivating. At other times, her performance is obscured by the digital hybridization and that goes for the rest of the cast. The performers are game, with each new scene introducing a new cat, giving these headliners a moment to shine and then some. The film doesn’t have a traditional story structure, just as the stage musical didn’t, and the lack of a narrative skeleton makes an already strange film feel even stranger.
Webber’s music is instrumental – no pun intended – in charming us into the visual exoticness of this adaptation. It centers and grounds the performances of the actors, singers and dancers handling this repertoire. The entire company is in fine form, moving dynamically and gracefully throughout the film. Once you see them in action, the digital fur approach makes sense, allowing free movement and expression of the human form while these top-tier performers are encapsulated in their cat avatars. However, despite this context and the whimsy that the musical score provides, our minds break down the numerous differences between these humans and their inhuman digital selves with each passing moment.
From afar, in wide shots and in clothes and hats, the effect isn’t as striking. In fact, it’s reminiscent of the costuming onstage. But when these cat creatures stand still in close-up on a big screen, right in front of your face, these moments are the most unsettling. Granted, they are few and far between due to the breakneck pace of the film. Unfortunately, these are also supposed to be the key moments where we connect emotionally with the cats, particularly with Jennifer Hudson as Grizabella performing the show’s signature song “Memory.”
Hudson sings majestically and achingly, recalling her Oscar-winning performance in 2006’s Dreamgirls. If the film doesn’t grab viewers and cross over the uncanny valley by her first appearance, then those viewers are lost. The audience’s enjoyment of Cats truly depends on their individual openness, their sense of humor and their willingness to try something new. I can honestly say I’ve never seen a film that looks like this, that feels like this and that’s a rare thing nowadays. The filmmakers have committed to a vision, artistically emboldened by the success and longevity of its progenitor. For that alone, I admire Cats despite the emotional disconnect I felt at times.
Recent movie musicals like The Greatest Showman and Disney’s live-action remakes of their animated classics have proven that an appetite for old-fashioned entertainment has returned, perhaps as a response to turbulent times. However, the approach to updating Cats’ aesthetic may have proven too experimental for its own good. Some audiences, especially stateside, may not be in the mood for innovation and open minds. For those that are, a delightful and bizarre evening awaits.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️½
ABOUT UNIVERSAL PICTURES’ CATS
Oscar®-winning director Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech, Les Misérables, The Danish Girl) transforms Andrew Lloyd Webber’s record-shattering stage musical into a breakthrough cinematic event.
Cats stars James Corden, Judi Dench, Jason Derulo, Idris Elba, Jennifer Hudson, Ian McKellen, Taylor Swift, Rebel Wilson and introduces Royal Ballet principal dancer Francesca Hayward in her feature film debut.
Featuring Lloyd Webber’s iconic music and a world-class cast of dancers under the guidance of Tony-winning choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler (Hamilton, In the Heights), the film reimagines the musical for a new generation with spectacular production design, state-of-the-art technology, and dance styles ranging from classical ballet to contemporary, hip-hop to jazz, street dance to tap.
The film also stars Robbie Fairchild (Broadway’s An American in Paris), Laurie Davidson (TNT’s Will), hip-hop dance sensation Les Twins (Larry and Laurent Bourgeois), acclaimed dancer Mette Towley (featured in videos for Rihanna and Pharrell Williams’ N.E.R.D.), Royal Ballet principal dancer Steven McRae, and rising-star singer Bluey Robinson.
Universal Pictures presents a Working Title Films and Amblin Entertainment production, in association with Monumental Pictures and The Really Useful Group. Cats is produced by Debra Hayward, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner and Tom Hooper. The screenplay is by Lee Hall (Billy Elliot, Rocketman) and Hooper, based on Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats by T.S. Eliot and the stage musical by Lloyd Webber. Cats is executive produced by Lloyd Webber, Steven Spielberg, Angela Morrison and Jo Burn.
One of the longest-running shows in West End and Broadway history, the stage musical “Cats” received its world premiere at the New London Theatre in 1981, where it played for 21 years and earned the Olivier and Evening Standard Awards for Best Musical. In 1983, the Broadway production became the recipient of seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and ran for an extraordinary 18 years. Since opening in London in 1981, “Cats” has continuously appeared on stage around the globe, to date having played to 81 million people in more than fifty countries and in nineteen languages. It is one of the most successful musicals of all time.
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