19 thoughts on “Cat Lovers Will Love The Electrical Life of Louis Wain (2021)

  1. Allergic to cats. Big devotee of Cumberbatch. Small, introspective film; which the British are renowned for. No superheroes or mass murders, hence no big publicity. Absolutely adored it!

  2. “He looks weird and his acting is stilted and affected.” THANK YOU! I thought I was the only one who felt that way.

    1. He definitely looks weird. Cumberbatch has a very unusual face but I rather like it. Maybe he is stilted and affected but that worked for Sherlock.

    2. Years ago, a woman in one of my book clubs said that Cumberbatch always looks as if he’s going to cry.

  3. He suited the character here. I enjoyed this movie, and have always loved cats. Peter was amazing.

  4. I only saw it because it popped up as a suggestion on my Prime Video page, and I was not disappointed. Not least because I have at the moment both an older kitty doing poorly AND a new kitten who was a bit smaller than Baby Peter when she was found in my neighbor’s barn. I was primed for emotional cat movie.

  5. I am definitely NOT a cat person but I loved this film. I thought Benedict Cumberbatch’s performance was Oscar-worthy. His depiction of grief and the slide into madness was first class. The costumes, scenery, colors and acting were all excellent.

  6. Recommended to a cat-loving co-worker, who found the trailer and declared herself “obsessed.” We’re watching it now and it’s charming.

  7. I avoided it because I didn’t see how it could be anything but deeply depressing, if they followed the real life of the man. Born into poverty, marrying a woman who died 3 years after the wedding, in financial straits all his life, and then committed to an asylum with schizophrenia. So I noped out.
    His art got progressively scarier, and finally, when he killed himself, they didn’t look like cats at all. And I’m not a fan of the anthropomorphic drawings he did.

    1. That’s what I’m thinking. I haven’t been able to watch a tearjerker movie or show since the pandemic hit because I don’t want any more bleakness in my life. And I looked up his art. I don’t know why but it deeply unsettles me.

      1. I find his art incredibly charming & the ‘wallpaper’ cats are gorgeous, intricate, & sublime. The story showed how cats & art & art about cats gave his life meaning & brought joy to others, so the movie felt cathartic & uplifting to me.

        1. I can definitely see why his art was popular and the wallpaper cats are interesting. I love cats (have 3) and I was expecting to fully love his work. Brains are weird!

  8. I will probably try this at some point — I was super into the trailer, and then found out how depressing his life is, and worried people/cats might die, so I have avoided it thus far.

    Benedict was gorgeous in a wig in Amazing Grace, but whenever they leave his hair curly, it makes him so unattractive — it’s the contrast between curls (feminine) and his extremely masculine features. He’s the only actor I know who can be incredibly hot with his hair slicked back (Khan in Star Trek) and weird-looking the rest of the time.

  9. My bff, upon seeing the trailer for this movie, said, “Did they literally make this movie just for you?”
    At any rate, I finally, from this movie, have a label I’m willing to accept. I’m “an enthusiastic polyhobbyist.”

  10. Alas, no access to Amazon Prime, so not going to be something I’ll be able to watch.

    But I just read a glowing review on another site that mentioned that Wain’s mother is played by Phoebe (Sarah) Nicholls– who has a lengthy career in Frock Flicks on the large and small screen, starting as a child actress in WOMEN IN LOVE (1969, as the young sister Winifred) and including adult roles in BRIDESHEAD REVISITED (1981), THE MISSIONARY (1982), MAURICE (1987), PERSUASION (1995), FAIRY TALE: A TRUE STORY (1997, directed by her husband Charles Sturridge), DOCTOR THORNE (2016), among others.

Comments are closed.