This movie won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but it sure was mine. This is the kind of little British drama you can usually find on PBS. It is the true story of Louis Wain. If you are like me, and never heard of him, I suggest you google his name before watching the movie. Take a look at his very interesting, and sometimes bizarre, drawings and paintings of cats. Before Louis Wain, people believed cats belonged outside catching mice. Most would not have dreamed of keeping one in the house. Wain’s drawings were so popular that they helped launch cats as companions and pets. In “The Electrifying Life of Louis Wain” Benedict Cumberbatch does an outstanding job of showing us Louis’s unorthodox mind. His life is hard and confusing to him (he may have been autistic or suffered from schizophrenia) until he marries his sisters’ governess – played delightfully by Claire Foy. Their romance is so sweet and Louis is blissfully happy. But this being a true story, unfortunately, it doesn’t stay that way. The electricity in the title refers to the Louis’s belief that electricity can pull us forward in time and help us hold on to our memories. This idea inspired him to create cats that became more and more psychedelic over the years. But his inner demons cause his life to become sadder and his sanity more tenuous. Olivia Colman adds her terrific voice as the narrator. This story gave me a deep appreciation of this man I had never heard of, and his unique and powerful pictures of cats. If you’re interested, you can find this mesmerizing tale on Amazon Prime.
The Father
Here is another intense movie up for a few Academy Awards. “The Father” is a serious and disquieting movie. Outstanding performances from Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman (both previous Oscar winners) give this movie a prestigious and rather regal look. The story takes place mainly in the mind of Hopkins, who plays a man in the final stages of dementia. He lives with his daughter (Olivia Colman). Or does he? You will be just as confused as Hopkin’s character is as you watch him try to figure out what is going on in his life. Both actors give heartbreaking tour-de-force performances which deservedly have garnered them award nominations. The performers, as well as the writer and director, do an outstanding job of bringing us into this world as active observers. You will really empathize with the characters as they struggle to find their way through the illusions and confusions many have faced, and will deal with in the course of aging. It will really make you think about this aspect of what many families must deal with while facing the end of life. If you want to see two acting greats at the top of their game, this is a movie not to miss.
The Lobster
“The Lobster” is, hands down, one of the most bizarre movies I have seen in a long time. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I have been intrigued ever since I first saw the trailer. The premise is that in a not too distant future, people are not allowed to live in cities or towns unless they have a partner. Single people are doomed to be surgically changed into an animal if they do not fall in love in forty-five days. Colin Farrell, with an intriguing deadpan performance, is the man who wants to be changed into a lobster if he is unsuccessful in finding a true match. If you enjoy watching films where you will never guess in a million years what will happen next, this is the movie for you. One of my favorite unsung actresses, Olivia Colman, gives a great performance as the manger of The Hotel whose husband may not be as devoted as he seems. I also like the ending which is reminiscent of the movie “Inception” or the story “The lady or the Tiger”. If you like simple plots, car chases, explosions, and a happy ending, stay AWAY from this movie.