Due to the special place in my heart of the musical "Cat" for more than ten years, I went to see the movie version of which it was said to have received bad reviews;
In order to save my old feelings, and also because of the self-cultivation of a musical audience, I turned out the 98 classic stage version and watched most of it, combined with yesterday's movie viewing impression, and let me complain one by one (the following content contains spoilers, but The plot of the play is never important, it's clear when it's clear).
The Old Gumbie Cat: The hottest-eyed adaptation appeared at the very beginning. The movie version of gumbie cat behaved awkwardly and indecently (the young lady in the back row directly: Eeuwww), and she did not feel lazy when she slept. , it's not cute when you wake up, and the light-hearted tap dance in the musical version is gone, and the scene of eating human-faced cockroaches and mice can only be said to be quite creepy and not suitable for children.
The Rum Tum Tugger: The original version is a muscular male cat with a "shocking" brilliance. In the movie, his sexy "cat design" was stolen by the criminal cat Macavity, and being surrounded by a female cat seems to be just because of Milk. bar attract? (Tucao: Adult cats can't drink milk or lactose intolerance) The electronic psychedelic-style scene design made people suspect that it was a cult movie.
Grizabella - The Glamour Cat (Grizabella - The Glamour Cat): Alas, there's only misery left in the movie version... The director's handling of the song Memory is exactly the same as Fantine's I dreamed a dream in "Les Miserables" The same, overly realistic style made the audience pay attention to Jennifer Hudson's line of clear tears and two snot, and then the endless choking and crying -- what about the beauty? What about the lingering charm? What about a smidgen of fragile but subtle self-esteem?
Busopher Jones: The original was an aristocratic gourmet big fat cat, James Corden's version became a rude, irritable gluttonous obese (I've never quite understood the popularity of this British presenter) , is he funny by being rude and annoying? Just because he can sing doesn't make him a broadway actor...) and, is the group cat rummaging through the trash can scene really necessary? The scene of a group of human-faced cats eating rubbish is disgusting.
Mungojerrie And Rumpelteazer: Originally, the thief should have chosen a dark and windy background, but the movie version made people think that these two were naughty cats born in a rich family, and invited Victoria to come Home guest? The original Rumpelteazer wore a pearl necklace to show its identity, but this version has become a tie-up tool to frame Victoria... The constant changing proportions of cats/people and scenes is also confusing.
Old Deuteronomy: Lady M in 007 is so old! It was not easy for 85-year-old Judi Dench to contribute the original sound, but the vocal conditions were obviously limited (he was not a vocal professional in the first place), and finally presented The Addressing of Cats, which speaks more than singing, and created a kind and loving grandmother cat, but lacks the sound. With a little stalwart and tall leadership temperament - in fact, there is no cat disease, after all, being loved by people and full of wisdom are the core characteristics of this cat.
The lyrical arias of the cats welcoming Old Deuteronomy and Journey to the Heaviside Layer, which finally said goodbye to the selected cats on the road to rebirth, have the sacred meaning of church hymns and have always been two of my favorite lyrical melodies in the whole play.
The Awefull Battle of the Pekes and the Pollicles: It was cut directly, probably because the budget for a bunch of CG dogs was not enough? As far as the final rendering of the human-faced cat is concerned, it is better to cut it off.
Gus - The Theatre Cat: One of my favorite passages from the 98 official version, especially the intro of Jellylorum the female cat, "he was in his youth quite the smartest of cats, but no longer a terror to mice or to rats” eloquently narrates the arias of the cat’s age and the dazzling aria in the theater, which is very moving. The movie version was changed to the full monologue of the old artist, but 80-year-old Ian McKellen (he really never played Dumbledore?) also mainly relied on the narration and performance skills to support the whole song, probably because the director was obsessed with recording the original sound on the spot of persistence. Besides, oh my gosh, why did the director have to shoot him licking the plate and scratching his armpit?
Growltiger's Last Stand* (Growltiger's Last Stand): A pirate cat with a low sense of presence, the stage version is often cut off, and the movie version is not left. In fact, it can be played, the movie version of Macavity kidnapped a bunch of cats into a boat.
Skimbleshanks - The Railway Cat: The music in this part of the original version is hilarious, and the adaptation is also good! Ignoring the odd proportions, this is one of the most harmonious and comfortable moments in the entire movie.
Macavity - The Mystery Cat (Macavity - The Mystery Cat): The original double female cat's aria is more similar to Chicago's sexy style. In the movie, Taylor Swift's Bombalurina solo is a little thin, which is actually quite appropriate in terms of singing skills, however The dramatic tension is not enough for catnip, and the cats staged a drug-addicting scene and ran to the cult studio again...
As for the Macavity of Moriaty in the cat world, I was very afraid of the black bag with red eyes when I was a child. The movie version gave actors a lot of shots. The "personality charm" of the criminal cat is mainly interpreted as "sexual charm". It is not so scary, but a little bit. Funny.
Mr. Mistoffelees' version of the magic cat is a bit weak. The original version was sung by the sexy male cat Rum Tum Tugger, "And we all say oh! well I never was there ever a cat so clever as magical mister Mistoffelees" is very convincing, and the movie mainly relies on this song to help the magic cat build confidence ? It's not easy to write a story for a film director...
Young Leader Cat Munkustrap: The casting of the movie version was very successful. It was straight, upright, and handsome, just like the young leader cat of the original play. Out of curiosity, I searched for this actor, but I feel that he is more handsome when he is dressed as a cat? The singing skills were uneventful, and the dance performances were all-round, which well connected the whole drama.
Ballet kitten Victoria: I have added a lot to the show, and the cat costume also adds to the appearance. The singing skills are very in line with the silly and sweet "cat design". The new solo melody is beautiful and harmonious, but what does the lyrics "the memories were lost long ago, but at least you have beautiful ghosts" mean? A ruthless mockery of the classic lyric "memory, all alone in the moonlight, I can dream of the old days, I was beautiful then"?
Finally, I would like to say that this musical is only suitable for stage performances. What the audience sees is a cat played by a human, and it is a human imitation and tribute to the cat; the life of a stray cat may indeed be unbearable, but since it is originally an art Musicals should not use an overly "realistic" approach to express this kind of unbearableness. Perhaps, the director is not a cat lover at all?
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