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Catwoman (2004)
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Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
23 July 2004 (USA) moreTagline:
CATch Her In IMAXPlot:
A shy woman, endowed with the speed, reflexes, and senses of a cat, walks a thin line between criminal and hero, even as a detective doggedly pursues her, fascinated by both of her personas. full summary | full synopsisAwards:
5 wins & 5 nominations moreNewsDesk:
(149 articles)
Photo Gallery: The Kardashian's Halloween (From Celebuzz. 3 November 2009, 8:00 AM, PST)
A Conversation with Zoe Bell
(From Fangoria. 26 October 2009, 2:11 AM, PDT)
User Comments:
I loved it! more (576 total)Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Halle Berry | ... | Patience Phillips - Catwoman | |
| Benjamin Bratt | ... | Tom Lone | |
| Sharon Stone | ... | Laurel Hedare | |
| Lambert Wilson | ... | George Hedare | |
| Frances Conroy | ... | Ophelia | |
| Alex Borstein | ... | Sally | |
| Michael Massee | ... | Armando | |
| Byron Mann | ... | Wesley | |
| Kim Smith | ... | Drina | |
| Christopher Heyerdahl | ... | Rocker | |
| Peter Wingfield | ... | Dr. Ivan Slavicky | |
| Berend McKenzie | ... | Lance | |
| Chase Nelson-Murray | ... | Kid #1 | |
| Manny Petruzzelli | ... | Kid #2 | |
| Harley Reiner | ... | Kid #3 |
Additional Details
MPAA:
Rated PG-13 for action violence and some sensuality.Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parentsRuntime:
104 min | Canada:87 min (Ontario)Language:
EnglishColor:
ColorAspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 moreCertification:
Iceland:10 (original rating) | Iceland:12 (video rating) | Malaysia:U | USA:PG-13 (No. 41022) | Japan:U | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Brazil:10 | Chile:TE | Finland:K-11 | Ireland:12 | Netherlands:12 | Norway:11 | Peru:PT | Philippines:G | Singapore:PG | South Korea:12 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:12A | Germany:12 | Canada:PG (Ontario)Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Three Egyptian Mau cats played the role of Midnight. moreGoofs:
Factual errors: When Catwoman is running the chains through the Hedare trucks, she is seen feeding chain over the drive axle of a truck. In the next scene when she drives away only the front left steering tires are pulled off by the chain. moreQuotes:
[first lines]Catwoman: [voiceover] It all started on the day that I died. If there had been an obituary, it would have described the unremarkable life of an unremarkable woman, survived by no one. But there was no obituary, because the day that I died was also the day I started to live. But that comes later. This was my life. Days blended together, consistently ordinary, thanks to a job that was the practical version of my passion. I was supposed to be an artist by now. Instead, I was designing ads for beauty cream.
more
Soundtrack:
Clever Kicks moreFAQ
A Note Regarding SpoilersIs this the Catwoman from Batman Returns?
Is there going to be a sequel?
more
more (576 total)
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Patience Phillips (Halle Berry) is a visual artist who is stuck working in the advertising division of a large beauty product manufacturer, Hedare. When she acquires information that could potentially put the company out of business, they try to dispose of her. Because she had previously, unwittingly passed a "test", however, she is saved by a group of cats and transformed into a Catwoman.
First, let me note that I loved this film. It's a 10 out of 10 for me. Since I'm well aware that most critics, professional and amateur alike, have trashed this film, I'll focus on why I thought it was so good. Maybe this will help some new viewers consider giving it a look, and possibly encourage some reevaluation by those who have already seen the film.
The script immediately drew me into the film, and although I'm male, I identified with Patience. I'm also a visual artist. I have also worked for a company similar to Hedare in the past (although a much smaller and less nefarious beauty product company). I lived in an apartment that looked, on the outside, almost exactly the same as Patience's apartment complex. I also had neighbors who night after night played loud music or television until three or four a.m., while I first tried to block out the sound in any way that I could, then asked politely for them to turn the music down, and so on, until I finally called the cops on them so I could get some sleep.
Not that I need to identify with a character to like a film, but that made this one have extra resonance with me in the beginning. Additionally, I was immediately drawn in by the fantastic cinematography and set design. Those kinds of things are just as important in a movie as the story is. Film is a visual and aural artform. The whole package is important. Creative, attractive visuals such as those in Catwoman are part of the package.
The script, including the subtexts, worked well for me. Catwoman is a film about discovering identities, peeling away literal and metaphorical masks, and the difference between various stages of public versus private "faces". That the plot is centered on a beauty product manufacturer, then, is perfect. These themes permeate every aspect of the film. For example, Tom Lone (Benjamin Bratt) is continually peeling away the appearances of Patience, throughout the length of the film, and Patience is doing the same for herself--discovering her "true self". I can't think of a scene that doesn't touch on this theme in some way. That's very clever and thought-provoking scriptwriting, and it doesn't end there. There are also themes about femininity cleverly woven through the film, for example.
I thought the cast did a fantastic job. Berry is great as a Catwoman, and subtly referenced most of the previous screen Catwomen. She also incorporated a lot of crafty cat-like behavior. I enjoyed the supporting cast, especially Alex Borstein as Patience's friend, Sally. The effects worked well for me, and at times they were also very subtle and clever, such as Catwoman's whip representing a tail in many shots (most of this was achieved via digital effects). I was also impressed with the creativity and different approach of many of the fight scenes. It was nice to see Brazilian martial arts incorporated for a change.
Some of the negative criticism probably stems from a kind of purism that is disproportionately found among comic book fans when it comes to comic book films. I'm not much of a purist, but in any event, for anyone paying close attention, you'd note that Berry's character isn't supposed to be Selina Kyle. In the mythology of as presented here, "Catwoman" isn't a lone token, but a type. Patience is just another instantiation of a long line of catwomen. So departures from previous portrayals of Selina Kyle aren't relevant, even if we believed that filmmakers were obligated in some way to previous depictions of the "same" fictional characters (which I don't believe, not being a purist).
Catwoman is worth a (second) chance if you can leave some of your preconceptions at the door and if you're prepared to think a bit about a comic book film.