Review of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958) by Elizabeth M — 09 Nov 2011

What strikes you first about this film is clearly how goddamn hot Elizabeth Taylor was. "Is my hem straight, Brick?" The story is about a family bitching at each other at the brothers' father's mansion on his birthday as he faces his inevitable death. Immediately, we see the wasted relationship between the youngest son, Brick, and his wife, Maggie. As Maggie, Taylor is perfectly desperate. Begging for the McLovin' at every turn, only to be shunned by her bitter, drunk husband.

As the evening rolls on, the family matriarch starts needling his drunk son as to why he's chosen booze over fine tail. I'd say it takes Paul Newman a while to let loose, but that's only because it takes his character that long to let loose. He plays Brick reserved and steamy when we start and as childishly sorrowful as James Dean when the confrontation comes to the boil.

While there's little here to complain about per se, I would only point out that it's an ovious stage adaptation. That history is already written, so I'm not breaking news here. But what I mean is that the Acts are clearly defined in one room spaces with centralized characters for each. Taylor takes the lead in Act I, Burl Ives in Act II and while he and Newman act ensembly (new word), it takes Brick to go from upstairs to downstairs to become the major player of the scene.

Fantastic performances, and yes the script was homogenized of the homoness, but it still works as a film. And it's still one of the sexiest flicks of the fifties.