Cat on a Hot Tin Roof review

 Number 235 on the top 1000 films of all time is Richard Brook's drama 'Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.'

Based on Tennessee Williams' play of the same name, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof focusses on the dynamics of the self-destructive Pollitt family in Eastern Mississippi. Brick (Paul Newman) is a drunk, former high-school athlete who hurts himself trying to recapture his glory days. His long-suffering wife is Maggie (Elizabeth Taylor) who is still deeply in love with him, but there is still plenty of tension between the pair. There is also Harvey "Big Daddy" who is the ageing patriarch of the family. In ill-health, his other son Cooper "Gooper" (Jack Carson) and his wife Mae "Sister Woman" (Madelaine Sherwood) are desperate to be written into his will.

I am not particularly familiar with Tennessee Williams' source material. but I am given to understand that Brooks did not make a faithful adaptation. Within the original play, there was a strong homosexual subtext including an implied romantic attraction between Brick and his unseen friend Skipper who committed suicide a few years before. Due to production codes, this was largely admitted. And by production codes, I, of course, mean institutionalised homophobia. And that's ironic as that subtext was supposed to be a critique of homophobia.

But I do think that the film suffered from the omission of this subtext. Without it, everything felt very superficial and bland. And it wasn't just this subtext, but it felt like there was little behind the curtain. Being based on a stage-play, it is a small and intimate film. There is a tiny cast, although with two massive names - Elizabeth Taylor and Paul Newman - and the film is largely limited to the one set of the Pollitt family mansion. Obviously, I wasn't expecting a major spectacle or massive explosions, but everything still felt very lacking.

Much of the play was everybody shouting at each other, which all became rather tedious after a while. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, which also starred Elizabeth Taylor, was similar, yet it still had an apparent but subtle subtext. And so there was a point to all the yelling. But there was no discernible point here. It's a shame, because it sounds like Tennessee Williams was making a great point about the homophobia of the time, yet Richard Brooks wasn't able to convey the same ideas in his adaptation, whatever the reason might be. And this ultimately diluted the potency of the film.

I can only speculate that the fault of this film lies with the actual studio or film industry itself rather than with the film makers and actors - Paul Newman was brilliant as was Taylor - perhaps if they were given a chance, they could have made a very faithful adaptation of the American classic that is Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.

As Good as it Gets review

 Number 539 on the top 1000 films of all time is James L. Brook's comedy drama 'As Good as it Gets.'

Melvin Udell (Jack Nicholson) is a bigoted, grumpy, mean-spirited writer with OCD living in New York City. His neighbour Simon Bishop (Greg Kinnear) is a gay, depressed artist. And Melvin's favourite waitress at his local cafe is Carol Connelly (Helen Hunt) is an over-worked, over-protective single mother. The three form an unlikely friendship when life throws them all together.

Every so often, I see a film that reminds me of why I have enjoyed working through this list so much. As Good as it Gets surely deserves being higher than number 539. It has a great tone, equally hilarious and heartbreaking. Much of the humour comes from James L. Brook's witty script. Considering he also produced the Simpsons, it's no surprise that it was so funny.

You could certainly argue that the characters and plot were nothing original - a bitter old man finds a new lease of life upon meeting an attractive younger woman. Yet in the hands of Nicholson and Hunt, the characters felt fresh and dynamic. Both of them won best acting Oscars and understandably so. Udell having OCD was a refreshing touch and Nicholson played the ticks well. I think you could argue that it would take more than the love of a good woman to make him better, but I can suspend my disbelief.

And Greg Kinnear's character of Simon Bishop was a great addition. He was effectively a plot device to help orchestrate Melvin and Carol's relationship, yet he always felt like a real character. While he is sketching a portrait, he is brutally beaten and loses his muse. But through Carol's help, he rediscovers his love for painting. His tempestuous relationship with Melvin Udell even improves and and the two become friends at the end. This was a great film. It deserves all the praise I can give it.