The Cat's Meow (2001)
Review by Doc Ezra
Film:
DVD:

Written by Steven Peros, based on his own play
Directed by Peter Bogdanovich
Starring Kirsten Dunst, Cary Elwes, Eddie Izzard, Edward Herrmann, Joanna Lumley, and Jennifer Tilly.

Features:

• Running audio commentary by Bogdanovich
  
• Anatomy of a Scene from The Sundance Channel
  
• Making-of Chaplin Short
  
• Hearst mansion tour
  
• Music video
  
• Behind-the-scenes footage
  

Released by: Lions Gate
Region: 1
Rating: PG-13
Anamorphic: Yes

My Advice: Rent it.

In 1924, if William Randolph Hearst (Herrmann) spoke, everybody listened. And when he threw a party, everyone wanted to be invited. In November of that year, Hearst threw a party aboard his yacht and invited quite an ensemble cast: his mistress Marion Davies (Dunst), Charlie Chaplin (Izzard), has-been producer Thomas Ince (Elwes), gossip columnist Louella Parsons (Tilly), and writer Elinor Glyn (Lumley), just to name a few of the highlights. Then the cruise was unexpectedly cut short, Tom Ince was rushed to a hospital for less than an hour before being taken home, and died of "digestive trouble" the next day. Rumors and conspiracy theories have been kicked around for decades about what really went on aboard that ship, and here we get an entertaining version of the events, which was originally produced for the stage.

Peros' script is a strong one, and the cast rises to the challenge. The surprise stand-out is Izzard as notorious womanizer Chaplin, hounding Davies to have a tryst with him. While there are moments in the film where Izzard almost makes you forget he's not the real thing, there are none where he resorts to "Little Tramp" mannerisms in order to convey his character. Elwes does well as the fast-talking producer out to save his career, and he plays much of the film against Herrmann, who nails the legendary (and legendarily wacky) publishing tycoon--the two are particularly entertaining in a scene involving seagulls and an automatic pistol. Lumley plays the jaded Hollywood veteran to perfection, and for those only familiar with her AbFab work, this role is quite a different sort of cynic.

The Achilles' Heel in the cast is Tilly, whose take on Parsons is to make her as clueless as possible and as irritating as she can manage. Perhaps this was her objective or what Bogdanovich directed, but either way it's annoying. Tilly's voice doesn't help much, either. By the middle of the film I was ready to claw my ears off any time she came on screen (which fortunately wasn't all that often). I appreciate that it's not her fault--really I do. But a voice coach can work wonders.

The pacing is excellent, building from several different directions towards the fateful moment that leads to Ince's death. The "big event" did happen fairly late in the film, though, which means that any denouement had to be rushed through in the last ten minutes, and this makes the ending feel a bit too fast and too forced. Other technical aspects of the production, though, including costuming and set design most notably, are absolutely stunning. Given that the whole thing is shot on board a boat, there aren't a lot of opportunities for the cinematography to shine. Every shot is cramped and dark, but that's just like a real boat.

The DVD is pretty good stuff in its own right. Bogdanovich puts down a good commentary track, where he discusses trying to preserve the feel of stagework on-screen and working with an all-star cast. Scene breakdowns, making-of featurettes, behind-the-scenes footage, and a tour of Hearst's mansion round out the package nicely. It's really a ton of extras for a film that got no more press than this one did in its theatrical release, but I think it's a good sign that studios occasionally bother to do a DVD right, even if the film itself isn't expected to break sales records. Those less insanely popular films are the ones that could most use a little bonus material to pad them out.

Unfortunately, unless you're a die-hard fan of golden age Hollywood, there's probably little more than rental here for you. It's a good movie that people should definitely see, but not so overwhelming as to make it a repeat viewing. If you like Izzard, though, this is his best performance to date, and that might make it worth putting on the shelf as well. For those old-school Hollywood junkies, though, this makes a great light(er)-hearted companion to Citizen Kane on the "Hearst Was An Evil Bastard" shelf.