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A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Tuesday 7 January 2020
Forget CGI. Dench is the special effect in ‘Cats’

By JOCELYN NOVECK nology” used to turn stars
Associated Press like Jennifer Hudson, Tay-
There’s apparently enough lor Swift and Idris Elba into
groundbreaking technolo- state-of-the-art, fabulous
gy used in “Cats” for NASA felines. Spoiler (or spoiled
to send a rocket to unex- milk) alert: It’s not the tech-
plored parts of the universe nology that makes a whis-
— perhaps to a far-off plan- ker of difference here (sorry
et where cats sing, dance for the cat puns, but if you
on two legs, and recite T.S. see this film, you’d better
Eliot poetry in half-Cockney get used to them).
accents. No, it’s an old-school qual-
But let’s forget the much- ity that’s the real “special
discussed “digital fur tech- effect” worth talking about

This image released by Universal Pictures shows Taylor Swift as Bombalurina in a scene from "Cats."
Associated Press

in ”Cats,” the new film ver- in top talents like Robbie licle Cats,” is addictively
sion of the Andrew Lloyd Fairchild, the former New catchy.)
Webber juggernaut that York City Ballet principal The ball marks the night
launched the mega-mu- dancer who can sing and when one lucky cat is cho-
sical in the ’80s: veteran act, too, besides being one sen to rise skyward to the
stage talent. Case one: of the most graceful cats in “Heaviside Layer,” and
Judi Dench, who can take the alley. be reborn. The choice lies
any silliness and some- Alongside him dances with Old Deuteronomy, the
how make it genuine and Francesca Hayward, a grand old patriarch, who
moving, even in a com- principal dancer with the traditionally was a man
puter-generated cat suit. Royal Ballet, in the ingenue — but this is the #MeToo
Case two: her old friend role of Victoria, and other era, and besides, they got
Ian McKellen, who can stars of ballet, tap dance Dame Judi Dench — so,
embody an aging cat as and hip hop. He is a She. Dench, whose
well as he can Gandalf or Before explaining the plot slated appearance in the
Macbeth (which he once — and really, there’s never original London show was
played opposite Dench). been much to explain — a thwarted by injury, takes
Case three: James Corden, brief primer: “Cats” is not her appointed place here,
who, let’s not forget, is a so much a show as a cul- and lends the proceedings
Tony-winning stage actor tural phenomenon. It ran in needed heft and authen-
especially good at slap- London’s West End for 21 ticity.
stick, which he uses here to years, and on Broadway If Dench embodies good,
amusing effect. for 18. Those are just the Elba’s character, the
Bottom line: However you original productions; it has green-eyed Macavity, em-
feel about “Cats” the show been performed in more bodies evil. He’s desperate
— and let’s face it, some than 50 countries and in 19 to win the ball’s prize, even
love it and some hate it, EX- languages. if he has to abduct every
ACTLY as it will be with this All this for a show with no other cat he’s competing
film — give director Tom real narrative arc, based with.
Hooper credit for assem- on a series of poems But before the ball, each
bling a cast that knows its adapted by Webber from cat sings what amounts to
way around a stage. This Eliot’s 1939 “Old Possum’s a personal audition song
estimable group includes, Book of Practical Cats.” — sort of “A Chorus Line”
along with the theater vet- Here, as opposed to the for ambitious felines. They
erans, music stars like Hud- stage show, the action is include Jennyanydots,
son and Swift, who each set in 1930s London, where played by Wilson in her usu-
make the most of one Eliot would have lived. al raunchy, anything-goes
blockbuster number suited It is Victoria (Hayward) who style. (“Stop milking it!” she
to their talents. It includes begins our story. The inno- meows.) Jennyanydots
movie stars like Elba — who cent young newcomer is lives in her owner’s kitchen
talks and growls more than unceremoniously dumped and sleeps by day, but
sings — and Rebel Wilson, by her owner in an alley- dances with cockroaches
a “Gumbie cat” who really way. Suddenly she is sur- by night.
should be called a “Raun- rounded by cats — the Jel- Bustopher Jones (Corden)
chy cat.” licle cats, who have come is the well-groomed glut-
And dance stars. Chore- together for the annual ton, in spats, who eats his
ographer Andy Blanken- Jellicle Ball. (Their opening way through his entertain-
buehler (“Hamilton”) brings song, “Jellicle Songs for Jel- ing number. q