by Mark Murton
Directed by: Alan Rickman
Cat Out of the Bag Alert! This review contains some spoilers for this film!
Synopsis: Multiple lives intersect on a winter’s day in a small Scottish village on the coast. Photographer Frances (Emma Thompson) has just lost her husband to an early death, and her mother, Elspeth (Phyllida Law), travels to Frances’ house to reconnect with her daughter and grandson, Alex (Gary Hollywood). Meanwhile, old women Chloe (Sandra Voe) and Lily (Sheila Reid) go to a funeral, youngsters Sam (Douglas Murphy) and Tom (Sean Biggerstaff) skip school, and Alex gets a crush on tomboy Nita (Arlene Cockburn).
Cat Burglars (Scene Stealers): The first appearance of a cat is near the beginning as Chloe and Lily come down an alley up which a ginger and white cat was intending to go. Seeing the couple, the cat walks past the entrance and loiters until the women have left the alley and then continues its journey as planned.
Later while exploring inside a large outflow pipe on the beach Sam finds a cardboard box the contents of which send him hurrying back to Tom. Inside the box are two tortoiseshell kittens.
Tom immediately takes one out and tucks her inside his coat for warmth.
Sam takes out the other kitten and puts her under his jumper.
Tom holds his kitten close to him, declaring he’s keeping her and is going to call her “Fanny.”
Elspeth and Frances are walking on the beach close to the boys and as Sam is skimming stones across the ice nearby Elspeth approaches Tom and sits with him by the fire the boys have built. Frances sees them and starts taking photographs, replying to Tom’s query as to why she takes pictures that it reveals things that can’t be seen. “Didnae see her, did it?,” retorts Tom taking the kitten from inside his coat.
As Elspeth and Frances head back to the village Tom starts to walk out onto the ice with Sam’s cries to be careful with the cat ringing in his ears. The film ends as Tom and Fanny are consumed by the sea mist.
The kittens were provided by Flora Fleming of Creature Feature.
Final Mewsings: Cats are welcome guests whatever the season.
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