by Ted Davis
Directed by: Bill Forsyth
Cat Out of the Bag Alert! This review contains some spoilers for this film!
Synopsis: ‘Mac’ McIntyre (Peter Riegert), negotiator for the acquisitions department of Knox Oil and Gas, is detailed to travel from the Houston, Texas home office to Ferness, Scotland in order to purchase the town assets for the purpose of establishing an oil refinery worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Felix Happer (Burt Lancaster), the eccentric and visionary head of Knox Oil, also tasks Mac with watching the skies for strange occurrences, with specific emphasis on comet activity. Being a ‘telex man,’ Mac is out of his element with the Ferness locals, and is particularly flummoxed in his negotiations with canny Gordon Urquhart (Denis Lawson), hotel owner / accountant, which are further complicated by his growing attraction to Stella (Jennifer Black), Gordon’s seductive wife.
Purr Blurs: Near the Ferness docks where the boats are maintained, while the fishermen gather to gossip with the locals and tend to their fishing gear, a grey cat tends to its gear and cleans itself.
Upon receiving a phone call alerting her that the Russian fishing boat is due to arrive, Mrs. Fraser (Sandra Voe) excitedly rushes out of her general store to broadcast the news, passing her curious tuxedo kitten tentatively examining the cans of peas and fruit.
Final Mewsings: Without cats, a land of enchantment is incomprehensible.
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