Search - The Cat's Meow on DVD

Jennifer D. (jennicat) from ST AUGUSTINE, FL
Reviewed on 2/19/2015...

I really liked this movie. Love this time period. Any suggestions of other 20's movies shoot them my way.

Matt B. from GETZVILLE, NY
Reviewed on 9/29/2011...

“A Triangle... A Murder... A Secret... Don't Tell”

This is the story of a love triangle that pits a codger against a young charmer for the favors of a delightful young woman. The added attraction is that we may enjoy the scandalous spectacle of the rich and famous acting badly since the codger is media baron William Randolph Hearst, the young guy is Charlie Chaplin, and the apex of the triangle is Hearst’s long-time mistress Marion Davies. The setting is Hearst’s sumptuous yacht and the upshot is the true-life mystery of the murky circumstances surrounding the death of early movie mogul Thomas Ince.

Kirsten Dunst does the bubbly but tough turn as Marion Davies. Edward Herrmann as Hearst suggests the unloved child that underlies Hearst's need to control other people and make them love him, or else. Their scenes together are plausible and their mutual attraction makes us forget the age difference. Eddie Izzard has only Charlie Chaplin’s big head, but he captures a street-bred toughness and creative man’s vanity and narcissism, which all seem right for tough, creative, and heedless Chaplin.

As the now forgotten novelist Elinor Glyn (pioneer of mass-market women's erotic fiction), Joanna Lumley is like a Greek chorus, full of warnings to both the characters and us viewers about the Hollywood disease of thinking you’re the most important person in the room, figuring money is the most powerful mover of the universe, and abandoning all notion of morality. Jennifer Tilly plays Louella Parsons as silly on the outside but a calculating device on the inside.

Peter Bogdanovich directed so you know it’s going to be a well-crafted, well-thought out movie. He likes the 1920s and 1930s so he makes 1924’s lush and tacky details look real. It’s marvelous to look at, with a production design that tries to give the effect of black and white in a color movie. It’s well-written and takes chances using historical people in fictional circumstances. Best, it’s not too long and is always engaging, with lots of movement and sad, funny, unpredictable incidents.

1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.

"Cat's Meow" is the cat's pajamas

E. A Solinas | MD USA | 11/23/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

""Whodunnit?" This movie tries to answer that -- in 1924, a star-studded boat trip went wrong when someone got shot, and the truth of it was never investigated. This is one thing that might have happened. The actors appear to be enjoying themselves romping through Roaring 20s decadence, but rise to the occasion when genuine acting is called for. It's like an Agatha Christie murder mystery, except no Miss Marple or Hercule Poirot.A bunch of Hollywood glitterati arrive at a boat belonging to William Randolph Hearst, a rather obnoxious Hollywood mogul. Also on the boat is Marion Davies, Hearst's actress mistress, who is being actively pursued by Charlie Chaplin (who recently got his sixteen-year-old costar pregnant), a cool-and-calm eccentric novelist Elinor Glyn, irritating columnist Louella Parsons, fading superproducer Thomas Ince and his frustrated girlfriend, and a slew of others. Rumors fly about Marion and Charlie's suspected affair, and though Hearst doesn't want to believe it, the clues pile up -- with the assistance of Ince, who wants Hearst to be his business partner. A single gunshot threatens all of them...This is one of the movies that probably won't appeal to the average viewer, simply because a lot of the people in it, with a few exceptions like Chaplin and Davies, are not now remembered clearly. But if viewers can shut off their "hey, I don't know who that was" signals, then they will find a sort of whodunnit without the detective, a juicy soap wrapped up in a mystery wrapped up in a "Hollywood what-if" tale. Perhaps the biggest problem is that the last part is a bit anticlimactic and the buildup is rather insubstantial -- the biggest buildup is Hearst tearing through the boat in search of Chaplin.Kirsten Dunst shines brightly as Marion Davies, showing both a deeply conflicted young woman and a flirty party girl. She's never been better, even if she does wear a giant butterfly on her head. (Weird headpieces are a constant in this movie -- watch for Tilly's birdcage) Cary Elwes of "Princess Bride" returns as a desperate man who will go the extra mile to revive his career. Edward Herrmann plays a very intriguing Hearst, who is both obnoxious and tender, jealous and angry, controlling and generous. Eddie Izzard plays an insincere predator as Chaplin, who cares more about the conquest than about the woman; Joanna Lumley is rather underused, but she imbues all her scenes with a hilarious dry wit; Jennifer Tilly plays an irritating flibbertigibbet who has an unexpected cunning streak.The dialogue is fast, dry and enjoyable -- one of my favorite lines was "Hollywood, a land just off the coast of the planet Earth." There's some sexual content (nothing too graphic) and a fair amount of profanity; teens who like Kirsten Dunst particularly will enjoy this, but younger kids will be bored silly.This is not the movie that will appeal to the bubble-brained. But anyone who likes witty dialogue, sparkling costumes, a well-thought-out plotline and the shivering thrill of wondering if this was how it happened will think "Cat's Meow" is the cat's pajamas."

Scandalous Story with Death as Destination...

Kim Anehall | Chicago, IL USA | 09/24/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Cat's Meow is based on events that took place one November weekend in 1924 when the financial mogul William Randolph Hearst (Edward Herrmann) invited a group of celebrities to his yacht. The occasion was to celebrate the birthday of the film producer Thomas Ince (Cary Elwes). Charlie Chaplin (Eddie Izzard) was also among the invitees. There were also some rumors prior to the trip that Chaplin fancied the actress Marion Davies (Kirsten Dunst) who was Hearst's beloved girlfriend. The birthday cruise became an envious love triangle which has death as its destination.

Peter Bogdanovich tells this particular Hollywood scandal in a convincing manner as the story is focused on the love triangle between Hearst, Davies, and Chaplin. The other characters add a lot of intrigue and color to the film as they all have their own motives for being on the yacht. The cast performances are solid and the mise-en-scene elevates the cinematic experience. However, the film never reaches it full potential as similar stories have done in the past where a murder is committed in a remote location. This hurt the integrity of the overall cinematic experience, but the film still offers the audience a good cinematic experience.
"

OF WHISPERED LORES AND LOVES

Shashank Tripathi | Gadabout | 09/30/2004

(3 out of 5 stars)

"What really happened during this 'scandal' on a yatch where a film producer met his abrupt end amid a wild weekend of booze, charleston swinging, and dope?

We'll never truly know, but the film is a peppy cavalcade of big name stars playing big name stars. It's a character-heavy motion picture so let's discuss the impersonations.

Dunst is the flavour of the month, she makes Davies look like an attractively complex figure. While reflecting the verve of a young privileged woman at an exciting time, she maintains a moral core without really being certain of precisely what she wants, which rings true.

The flamboyant Eddie Izzard was a surprise in the cast but made an atypically understated Chaplin. You see the intelligence and yearning in his eyes, the sly wit dripping from his casual tilts of the head.

Personally, I felt these two were the only admirable actors in the film. The rest of the crew members acted as though they were in a much dopier movie. Herrmann for instance plays Hearst, the big tycoon, as a buffoon channeled through Bill Murray, huffing and puffing when he feels betrayed, grinning goofily and almost cross-eyed when he appears giddy.

The film overall is a very watchable one though, particularly if you can overlook a needlessly sepia tone across the board giving a pseudo-noir look. The idea clearly was less to weave a murder mystery yarn and more to splice together the interactions among people at the scene of a high-society and thus hush-hush crime."