Tuesday, December 26, 2023

Cat Person

“Men are afraid that women will laugh at them. Women are afraid that men will kill them.” - Margaret Atwood

This quote is at the start of "Cat Person," a film directed by Susanna Fogel. It stars Emilia Jones as Margot, a college sophomore who works the popcorn stand at the local rep cinema. She meets older man Robert (Nicholas Braun - you may know him a cousin Greg from TV's "Succession") and they start a texting relationship followed by, well, something more. This movie is straight up smart. It's uncomfortably realistic at times. I'm sure it will open up all kinds of conversations about male/female power dynamics, social norms, and a shift in perception about romantic male movie leads, in particularly, Harrison Ford. Last year I showed my twenty something niece, "Blade Runner" for the first time. When Harrison Ford gets all aggressively kissy face with Sean Young, my niece was somewhat horrified. I wasn't expecting her reaction. I had never given a whole lot of thought about that scene before until I watched it with her (and I have seen "Blade Runner" over thirty times). This very scene is brought up in "Cat Person." The movie isn't just about male/female power relations - it plays with movie thriller tropes. I just loved everything about it. Catch this feminist thriller movie now on streaming platforms. 

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