Besides The Power of the Dog, Benedict Cumberbatch made a 2021 film that somehow slid under the radar. Narrated by Olivia Colman, this story revolves around British artist Louis Wain (1860-1939), famous for his brightly colored drawings of anthropomorphized cats with huge eyes and dilated pupils. He was also an eccentric who believed electricity could transform everyday life.
Born with a cleft palate, young Louis had to support his widowed mother and five sisters. When governess Emily Richardson (Claire Foy) moved in, socially awkward Louis fell in love with her, only to lose her several years later to breast cancer. To distract and amuse Emily, Louis drew sketches of their beloved cat in comical poses.
In December 1886, Wain was commissioned by Sir William Ingram, publisher of the Illustrated London News, to create a double-page spread depicting “A Kitten’s Christmas Party.” Its immediate success made him the cat’s meow for feline fanatics, but Wain never bothered to copyright images that were reproduced on biscuit tins, teacups, and postcards.
Between 1900 and 1940, more than a thousand postcards were distributed by 75 different publishers, none of whom paid him anything. In 1924, Wain was diagnosed with schizophrenia and he spent the rest of his life as a pauper in psychiatric hospitals, where he produced much of his most original work.
Scripted by Simon Stephenson and director Will Sharpe, this poignantly surreal film also shows how Wain was a fluent mirror-writer, sketching with two hands simultaneously. And instead of using CGI, animal wrangler Charlotte Wildeworked with 40 different cats, rewarding them with tasty snacks. Optional for biography film collections and art history curricula.
Discover more titles for your film collection in our list of drama movies.