Catwoman (2004) - Cats prefer turkey?

[ray gower]

Catwoman (2004)- Cats prefer turkey?

Synopsis
Patience Philips (Halle Berry) is a shy, sensitive artist, a woman who can't seem to stop apologising for her own existence. She works as a graphic designer for Hedare Beauty, a mammoth cosmetics company on the verge of releasing a revolutionary anti-aging product.
When Patience inadvertently happens upon a dark secret her employer is hiding, she finds herself in the middle of a corporate conspiracy.
What happens next changes Patience forever. In a mystical twist of fate, she is transformed into a woman with the strength, speed, agility and ultra-keen senses of a cat. With her newfound prowess and feline intuition, Patience becomes Catwoman, a sleek and stealthy creature balancing on the thin line between good and bad. Like any wildcat, she's dangerous, elusive and untamed.
Her adventures are complicated by a burgeoning relationship with Tom Lone (Benjamin Bratt), a cop who has fallen for Patience but cannot shake his fascination with the mysterious Catwoman, who appears to be responsible for a string of crime sprees plaguing the city.
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I could feel sorry for Halle Berry, she is not a great actress and although she was trying in places, in others she looked confused.

Catwoman, when portrayed at her best, was always a mystical figure; a seductive temptress, full of wile and suggestion. Something Berry never pulls off, certainly not to the levels managed by Kim Bassinger in Batman Returns, or even Eartha Kitt and friends in the sixties series.

The only help she had from the film was they did not give her character the name of Batman's femme fatale Selina Kyle.

Otherwise we have a poor story (not withstanding the things women do to stay young and beautiful), villains that should have come from Columbo, Ironside or similar cheap 60's TV cop show.

All in all, something of a turkey

 

[philoSCIFI]

Turkey? Say what? :erm:

Catwomen may not be the best of movies, especially in comparison to anything Batman and/or Catwoman related, but I think Halle Berry did an okay job. The cat-like movements were interesting and there were a few frames in a few scenes that I liked a lot. For example...

Spoiler

the scene where Patience comes back to life.

I loved the way they used colors in the scene precedeing(sp) it.

Spoiler

Watching her being chased through different rooms...

... great darks as well as brights. Some of the color contrasts were amazing. Great complimentary colors when contrasted and the darker scenes weren't pitch black like some movies. I understand sillouette artsy what have you, but sometimes movies get so dark you can't see anything and it's like you're looking at a blank black screen. IMO, if you want it black, go pitch black... I digress.

...

Catwoman, when portrayed at her best, was always a mystical figure; a seductive temptress, full of wile and suggestion. Something Berry never pulls off, certainly not to the levels managed by Kim Bassinger in Batman Returns, or even Eartha Kitt and friends in the sixties series.

I do have to agree with you there though. Halle has a lot of history to compare to. Eartha Kitt! w00t!

Poor story? I guess. Haven't all the catwoman stories been in some way? Or at least have that corny/campy feel to it?

 

[ray gower]

I'll agree that too many films achieve darkness by turning all the lights off and that Catwoman is probably better than say Daredevil.

But it still left the film an equivalent to Supergirl in relation to Superman. Which is a shame. Catwoman deserves something far better.

If we are to get really technical, then there were too many scenes dedicated to the camera spinning around our heroes, which made me dizzy, but not a lot else. Fortunately the worst of those was cut out totally.

Looking at the other 'Features' on the DVD, it looks as if they started the film with the intention of doing something entirely different, but rewrote halfway through, so we really shouldn't expect much.

As for a favourite scene, mine are where Berry tries out those cat movements, watching the fish in the tank, the other is the fight on the catwalk where she 'ghosts' here cop boyfriend, staying behind him.

 

[philoSCIFI]

Originally posted by ray gower
But it still left the film an equivalent to Supergirl in relation to Superman. Which is a shame. Catwoman deserves something far better.

Ooooooh! Great analogy. I agree!

Looking at the other 'Features' on the DVD, it looks as if they started the film with the intention of doing something entirely different, but rewrote halfway through, so we really shouldn't expect much.

Yeah, I noticed that too, sadly.

As for a favourite scene, mine are where Berry tries out those cat movements, watching the fish in the tank, the other is the fight on the catwalk where she 'ghosts' here cop boyfriend, staying behind him. [/B]

Those were great. :wink2:

 

[immortalem]

I thought this movie could have been so much better. I thought it looked too fake. I did like how on the special features they had all the catwomen from the t.v. series Batman on there telling us how it was to be on the show.

 

[Dave]

"Catwoman," starring 2002 best actress Oscar winner Halle Berry, tied with "Fahrenheit 9/11" by scooping up four "Razzies" this year -- worst picture, worst directing, worst screenplay and worst performance by an actress for Berry for her "berry bad" work. 2005 marks the 25th anniversary of the Razzies. It was actually nominated for seven Golden Raspberry awards.

Berry showed up to accept her "Razzie" carrying the Oscar she won in 2002 for "Monster's Ball."

"They can't take this away from me, it's got my name on it!" she quipped. A raucous crowd cheered her on as she gave a stirring recreation of her Academy Award acceptance speech, including tears.

She thanked everyone involved in "Catwoman," a film she said took her from the top of her profession to the bottom.

"I want to thank Warner Brothers for casting me in this piece of ****," she said as she dragged her agent on stage and warned him "next time read the script first."

It is rare for a Razzie winner to show up at the spoof awards held on the night before Oscars -- but Berry did, saying her mother taught her that to be "a good winner you had to be a good loser first." She received a standing ovation.

 

[philoSCIFI]

:rolly2:

That Rocks Dave. Thanks for the update. Where'd you get the info?

 

[Dave]

I can't remember (I google searched) but I heard it on the radio first.