“English cats who do not look like Louis Wain cats are ashamed of themselves.” H.G. Wells
Directed by: Will Sharpe
Written by: Will Sharpe, Simon Stephenson
Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Claire Foy, Andrea Riseborough
Swift shot: An electric parade of cats is what I was expecting, but what I got was a beautiful, painful introduction to an eccentric genius who gave the world its genuine love of our furry feline friends.
I had never heard of Louis Wain, and we stumbled onto this film because it popped up in an ad on our Amazon Fire TV. All I saw was Benedict Cumberbatch and cats, and I told Madison “We are so watching that!”
When we first meet Louis Wain (Cumberbatch) he is surrounded by responsibility. As the only surviving male of his Victorian noble household following his father’s death, all the burdens of running the family are his to bear. He has five sisters and his ‘Bohemian” mother.
His oldest sister, Caroline (Riseborough) is a very strict woman. It’s clear she has the smarts and the drive to be the head of household – she just lacks one thing that was deemed essential back then. I am sure you can figure it out without me painting a picture. Plus, I am a terrible painter. Luckily for the Wains, Louis was a considerable artist, and managed to keep them intact with his paintings.
With the new weight on Louis’ narrow shoulders, the Wains hire a governess to educate the younger Wain sisters. You can feel the electricity once Louis meets Emily (Foy). He’s immediately captivated by her unique approach to life and her quirky spirit. And she feels the same . . . spark.
But, this is Victorian England, and you can’t just shack up with your governess without consequences.
Around this point, I started saying, “This is great, but where are the cats?!” As our youngest little tabby discovered a fun new game called climb the glass behind the blinds and make the worst scratching noise since “Salad Fingers” to freak out mom and dad!
Eventually, you do get cats in the movie, but I feel giving away how they become a pivotal part of the story would be robbing you of that discovery. I will say that cats, and one cat in particular, act as a sort of savior for Louis and Emily.
And because real life is often harsher than fiction, it is through enduring pain and loss that Louis truly blossoms with passion for his craft. But, there is a fine line between genius and insanity. As life continues to introduce grief, poor Louis struggles with his mental health. He’s always been a bit odd, but the older he gets the harder it is to maintain his grasp on what is real.
Victorian England wasn’t very accommodating to those with mental health issues. And while that was made evident in the film, mercifully, it wasn’t the sole focus.
Through some saving grace, divine intervention, or maybe just the universal balance of mother nature, Louis captures the attention of the world when his employer, Sir William (Toby Jones) asks him to draw up some cats in his paper, the Illustrated London News. Up until that time, cats were basically seen as mousers and not household pets.
But once the world discovers the Wain cats, it is forever changed. And honestly, so many silly cat videos on the Internet these days owe their allegiance to Louis Wain and his many supporters. [Swift aside: While I have been re-watching “The Sopranos,” I noticed that a certain cranky uncle has a Wain cat on his wall.]
The Electrical Life of Louis Wain is a fantastic, albeit tragic and somewhat melancholy look at the adult life of the incredible human specimen called Louis Wain. We see how he grows as a man, and how he deals with science and art, and blends them together. We see how he deals with love and grief and how he blends them together. Patterns, really, woven together from two sources to create something unique and wonderful.
And I would be remiss to not mention the music. It is as electric as the rest of the film, with a soundtrack filled with the theremin, mellotron, and even the Trautonium (whatever that is). But the end result is again a pattern of artistry and grace that provides an electric pulse to the entire film.
If you love cats and appreciate art or just the struggle of life and how some of the worst pain produces profound moments, The Electrical Life of Louis Wain is something you won’t want to miss.
