[Blind Spot 2019] March: Cat on a hot tin roof

The March Blind Spot challenge pick was “Cat on a hot tin roof”. I’ve wanted to see this movie for a long time, mostly because of the two main actors, Elizabeth Taylor and Paul Newman, and I am glad I did. I absolutely loved it. It was well acted, with an interesting storyline and a great retro feeling (all those cigarettes, and the music, and wardrobe).

“Cat on a hot tin roof” is a movie directed by Richard Brooks, based on a play by Tennessee Williams. It follows the story of Brick and Margaret’s rocky relationship, but also the evolution of Brick’s family problems, which involve cancer and inheritance. You basically get all the family drama in 1 hour and 48 minutes, and its presented at its best.

I love when characters and stories are well built and portrayed on screen, and this movie is definitely a great example of it. We get to know miserable Brick, who is a moody alcoholic who can’t stand his wife, and who seems void of any emotion. We certainly notice Margaret, who is desperate for him to notice her and love her (in any way, but especially physically). We end up hating Mae and Gooper, the annoying and false brother and sister-in-law, and we learn to care for Big Mama and Big Daddy. 

Acting-wise, it felt like a real treat to see both Elizabeth Taylor and Paul Newman on screen. She is, not only a beautiful woman with fantastic legs and very slim ankles, but also a great actor who is willing to go the extra mile. She seems to be (or at least, very well portrays) a passionate woman, and I’ve rarely seen this kind of intensity on screen in our time. Paul Newman did a great job, and I got out of this movie wanted to see more his movies, especially ones where he is allowed to express himself more (this part didn’t allow it, well, not in an obvious way). 

On a side note, I also got to see the play last night in one of my local theater. Although it was definitely sub par, compared to the movie, especially when it came to performances, I did notice an interesting thing. The play touched on the homosexuality aspect of one of the relationships, something that did not appear in the movie. Apparently it didn’t feature in it because of the Hays code (a set of industry moral guidelines that was applied to most United States motion pictures released by major studios from 1930 to 1968). Most of the people involved, including Tennessee Williams and Paul Newman, were very disappointed by it. 

In conclusion, “Cat on a hot tin roof” was a fantastic movie that I highly recommend to all the film lovers out there. See it to enjoy the performances of the two main actors and to witness all the family drama.