The Cat's Meow

that involves jealously and murder. I didn't know what this movie was about before watching it. Afterwards I was impressed. This made a good movie because it is based on real life events that are still a mystery. I had never heard this story before, but it was very interesting. In the beginning, we get to learn about the cast of characters on the yacht and their relationships. This was well done and not boring like all the characters in Godsford Park. We see the jealously of RW toward Chaplin because Chaplin has an eye on RW's mistress, Marion. Then, RW does something he regrets and tries to cover it up from his other guests. Kristen Dunst was good as well all the actors. I liked the music and the outfits and hair styles.

FINAL VERDICT: Not for action buffs. A good drama with interesting characters and good story.

Very similar to Robert Altman's GOSFORD PARK, the new film by Peter Bogdanovich is certainly not a film for everyone. The film takes its time in developing the characters (quite slowly, I might add) and really takes a while for the story to get moving.

There are some very well-written scenes, and the costume designs are very well done. And, yes the acting is great also. I was very surprised at Edward Herrmann's performance, he did a splendid job. I was not as happy with Eddie Izzard playing Charlie Chaplin as I wanted to have been, but he was still acceptable. Kirsten Dunst was also very good. The film is, as I said, very slow as it really takes quite a while for things to finally fall into play, and the film is only for serious film fans, as your casual movie watcher will find it hard to watch.

The setting of the film is a tale that Hollywood seems to have forgotten, as the year 1924 and the story of the murder aboard William Randolph Hurst's yacht is not a commen topic of conversation. But surely a film like this, is bound to become a conversation starter for many film buffs. It is a must-see for anyone who enjoys dramas and romance (I really wouldn't call this a romance movie though). Not as much of a mystery as I was hoping, but this film is a comeback for Peter Bogdanovich. Surprisingly enough, this melodic drama did not earn itself any Oscars, or even any nominations, which usually a film of this sort is typically a top-contender. Not a big hit in theaters, and not a big sell-out on video, this is a movie for the more serious of film fans.

I was quite enthralled with the story in many parts, but I also found it hard to sit through as it was very slow in some parts. Very good costume design and acting are the main highlights of this delightful period piece. Definetely calls for a second viewing.

THE CAT'S MEOW gets 3/5.

It begins with a funeral, for whom you don't know except who ever it is, he or she is getting quite a send-off to the tune of Aloha Nui played by a pair of musicians strumming ukuleles. Now if you have a photographic memory and can remember the faces of the hundreds of mourners, then perhaps it won't be a mystery as to who will be in the casket. You do know however, that someone invited to a lavish any thing goes party aboard William Randolph's Hearst's yacht the Oneida in the flash back that follows the funeral will. The movie seems to go nowhere for a while,mostly just watching fun and games of those lucky enough to be invited, even though you know the price one aboard that yacht is destined to pay for this trip. You almost forget the funeral and the mystery of what this movie is about – who is in that casket, but it is well worth the wait. Like any good mystery, the unlucky victim is one you'd least expect, though you'd think it would have been Charlie Chaplin , but we know he lived to a ripe old age. Until it gets to that point, you get to see another take on what William Randolph, child-like but likable and with some pretty quirky flaws, making one wonder how he ever became so rich. As most people have seen Citizen Kane, we already know about infatuation with Marion Davies bordering on an obsession, but probably don't know that a competition for her existed between Charlie Chaplin and Hearst and how this competition creates the mystery as to whoever is in the box got there.

The epilogue of this film was probably the most interesting of any film I ever seen. Secrets had to be kept and Hearst was willing to pay any price to see they were kept, granting all who cooperated, and apparently all did, whatever wish (and he could do it) as any genie in any bottle. If you are looking for something different and willing to give this movie a chance, this movie is for you. This movie deserves better than the 6.5 of the IMDb and I give this movie a 7.5/10.

The Cat's Meow is a semi-true story of a murder that occurred on William Randolph Hearst's yacht one evening in 1924. While much of the screenplay is presumably speculation, it is interesting to see the effects the murder on some of his other guests, like Marion Davies, Hearst's mistress, Charlie Chaplin and Luella Parsons, among others.

This film couldn't fail for me – its subject matter involves William Randolph Hearst, a foe of my main obsession Orson Welles, and it contained one of my favorite entertainers in the cast, Eddie Izzard as Charlie Chaplin. However, while watching the film I had to consider whether the movie was a well-written drama or simply too slow in its development, making the climax more of a let-down than anything. If the film wasn't book-ended by compelling writing that made you both look deeply into the subject matter from the beginning, then reflect on the past events at the conclusion, I would have said the latter was true. And while Eddie Izzard was fantastic as Chaplin, and Kirsten Dunst wasn't her usual irritating self as Davies, it was Joanna Lumley who I thought was the breakout star of the film. Her role was small, but integral to the progression of the film – acting as narrator, analyst and the film's conscience.

While not a fast paced, action filled film, The Cat's Meow is pleasant to experience based on its dramatic merits. Bogdanovich is more of an actor as of late than a director, but this film's character-driven dramatic elements harkens back to his best known classic, The Last Picture Show. If you are a fan of film history as I am, you will find this film interesting and thought-provoking.

--Shelly

I am abhorred that the Oscars could ignore this film for all the categories it so well deserved:

Best Actress (Kirsten Dunst) Best Actor (Edward Herrmann) Best Costume Design Best Cinematography

And those are just the obvious ones!

Peter Bogdanovich is one of my favorite Directors. He has an amazingly vast Encyclopedia of knowledge about Hollywood during this time. He was good friends with the master Orsen Wells and even did the Commentary for Citizen Cane in Wells' place. He was unquestionably the perfect Director for putting this story to screen.

Kirsten Dunst is remarkable playing 24 year-old Marion Davies at only 18. She does a superb job in the role and deserved a lot more attention than she was awarded.

I strongly disagree with comments that the supporting cast was bad. Everybody was perfect for their role! The sax player WAS a sax player (not an actor) from Berlin (where most of the movie was filmed) and he did fantastic! (He only had one line for goodness sake!)

Though I would concur that Jennifer Tilly played Louella Parsons a bit unlike we would expect, I support her decision to treat her this way for the sake of this film. She lightened up the film with her bumbling silliness. So what if Lolly wasn't like that in real life? It worked well for the movie.

My only (slight) complaint was the decision to have one of the flappers briefly flash us (show her chest) during a party scene with her, the other flapper, the sax player and Chaplin. It was unnecessary and felt out of place with an otherwise clean movie. My guess is this was the reason for the PG-13 rating.

There is hardly any language - in fact Bogdanovich changed the film's only F-word to "screw" to clean it up even more than the original script. This works much better for the period than filling it with 21st century language.

Anybody interested in the 20's, William Randolph Hearst or 'The Golden Age of Hollywood' MUST see this movie!

8½ out of 10. (I can't decide between 8 and 9!)