Welcome back to the Randomizer!
This week I'll be delving into a little bit of my childhood
(a loving psychotic childhood I should add!) and discuss a certain cartoon
movie that I wonder if anyone will remember.
When I was younger I used to have a religious obsession with
Cartoon Network and watched all sorts: Dexter's Labortory, Cow and Chicken,
Johnny Bravo, Powerpuff Girls, etc. It was a good time to be a cartoon addict,
better then heroin any day. Not that I've tried it before, but I'm not sure I
would fancy it. Interestingly, there were a number of films that were shown
every now and then on the channel, lesser known stuff that you'd probably find
on videos or Netflix nowadays. This film that I will talk about today is one of
those things.
Imagine first the title with blues, yellows and red, with
the Warner Bros logo situated in the near middle, gentle French music playing
in the background. Ok? Good. Then the title moves to the right, and a all too
familiar voice starts to sing: "Take my hand, Paris. Share your dreams
with me". The new background reveals Judy Garland drawn statically in the
middle of the frame. Then the drawing changes into a white cat with the words
next to it saying: "As the singing and speaking voice of Mewsette". A
dissolve to a picture of a pink purple like city, and then the title appears
overhead, simply called: Gay Purr-ee.
If that's brought up many memories then fantastic! If it
hasn't......you have no childhood. Sucks but you'll have to live with it.
Written by Warner Bros. Animation legend Chuck Jones and
directed by one of his animators Abe Levitow.......no, me neither, Gay Purr-ee
was a nice little nostalgic throw-back for me as a teen.
Ever since I've seen it, it has remained as a random splurge
of images in my head, so much so that I had originally forgotten the title.
After finally re-discovering it, I tried to find a format to watch it on. It is
readily available on DVD.....if you live in America. Grrrrr. Seriously I've
tried looking for it in HMV, but with no such luck. Tried using iTunes, the
mothertrucker decides not to show sound and video on screen! However thanks to
Amazon Prime Video, I finally had a good quality copy to watch all the way
through.
Soooo what I'm going to do is write a review of the film and
share this nice little piece of childhood with you all. Maybe you'll get some
nice little goosebumps from hearing certain parts that you'll remember as I go
on. That said, let's have a gay time in Paris. Not like that you cheeky sods
;).
Ding-Dong, Stephen Fry's back. LIGHT UP THE TOWER!
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For this review, I will be doing a 5 star rating based on
the following points:
-
Story
-
Acting/Voice Acting
-
Animation
-
Writing
-
Music
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Story:
Mewsette is a farm cat living in the province of Provence,
and has a love interest in Jaune Tom (played by Robert Goulet) at the expense
of his companion, Robespierre. Becoming more fascinated with the lifestyles and
attractions of Paris, Mewsette jumps ship to the city and naively falls for the
traps of a suave sophisticated black and white cat called Meowrice, who has
marriage plans for her to his client, Mr Henry Phtt. No seriously that's his
name.
Mewsette (Judy Garland)
Jaune Tom (Robert Goulet)
Robespierre (Red Buttons)
Meowrice (Paul Frees)
The story is generally interesting, and it's that easy to
follow and doesn't go in unnecessary directions for the most part, giving what
is needed and not wasting most of it in the pace of its 85 minute screen time. The
characters can be uniquely motivated in their own ways. Jaune Tom is quite
strong because of his love for Mewsette, and would do anything to bring her
back in one piece, being quite reckless in that respect, but he is not one to
give up too easily. Meowrice being the main villain is kind of interesting
because he is working for someone else instead of for himself, being generally
clever off the cuff too in more ways than one when certain events come in his
direction.
But there some things that aren't above criticism since some
characters can be unlikable. Mewsette comes across that way at times because of
her recent fascination with Paris, and insulting Jaune Tom by calling him a
plebeian peasant. You can see how upset she can be at her own life, but can go
WAY over-the-top with stuff due to her wide-eyed innocence. But she isn't
completely off her rocker for she does care for Jaune Tom in some ways, she
just wants something different to her surroundings. What better way than Paris?
Robespeirre in contrast prefers to not have Mewsette around, jealous of her
being around Jaune Tom all the time, but he does feel like someone with a bad
taste in the mouth, quite unsatisfying at best and not that much likable.
Perhaps it would have been better if he fully acknowledged Jaune Tom's love for
Mewsette, and be a little nicer in future.
For those points story gets a half star *.
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Voice Acting:
The one that really stood out for me in recent times from
this movie is Robert Goulet playing Jaune Tom. He gave the right kind of
boldness in his quest, becoming quiet when nothing is going right for them and
finding another source of energy when he believes Mewsette is close by. It's a
role he gave a right kind of balance in fun and seriousness. His singing voice
is pretty strong too, able to hold the notes well and give the right tone of
emotion into each song, thought he can be quite quiet at times. Best casting in
my opinion.
And totally not because he's going to get me. Honest!
Judy Garland as Mewsette however was good too, giving a
nearly unlikable character an enthusiastic edge with plenty of emotional ranges
to go on, giving her a child-like personality in one way. It does work well if
you view it in that way, but she can go a little bit over-the-top at times.
Then there is the singing voice. Like her voice performance, it's not bad at
all but there is something missing from it all. She can do all sorts of
different tones to raise and lower her voice, to match the tone of the song. What
I wonder would have been better if it was less mature, if Mewsette is quite
naive. Garland at the time of production was 40 years old, and her voice had
changed considerably from her time in Wizard of Oz. It might have been
possible, but I can only say speculation. Try and compare the two films if you
can via Amazon or Netflix (if the latter has Gay Purr-ee on show).
Paul Frees as Meowrice pretty much matched the character
tone for tone, giving him the suave and charming evil personality that makes
you quite uncomfortable to think about at first. Once the pretence is down, he
gives a clever and opportunistic greedy character, looking to make money out of
Mewsette's misfortune. Red Buttons gives Robespierre a good jealous edge since
he is annoyed at Mewsette and Juane Tom being together, which is where most of
his comedic moments come from, and some good moments at being happy, especially
where Jaune Tom is concerned. He makes the character more likable even if he is
annoying at times.
While I will not fault the overall performances in terms of
acting, the singing can be somewhat off-putting but it is still good
nonetheless. Their tones can help seal in the musical moments pretty well and
you can hear the emotion power through at times, making you feel what the
characters are going through.
Voice Acting = one full star *
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Animation:
Now this is one of the bigger ones to talk about.
Going back to Chuck Jones for a moment, I believed for a
moment that his animation style was somewhat sharper, made the characters look
more smaller and featured more details around the physical features of an
animal, like with Tom and Jerry in the 60s.
The designs of the characters in Gay Purr-ee are no
exception. Their size slightly dictates how they can move about in the world to
make them look like real cats, with slightly exaggerated bits all around. For
the most part they are nicely rounded and don't distract from watching them on
screen, allowing for some good funny moments like with Jaune Tom doing some
stretching, and Robespierre walking backwards on a stone bridge. The way they
can be animated itself is a different story, because you do get some moments
that are downright bizarre. For example when Jaune Tom sees a mouse, he goes
into what I'll call Terminator mode. One of his whiskers turns into a target
for his left eye to have the mouse in his sights. I do wonder whether it's
somewhat out of place for a character to suddenly become....that.
(Target: Sarah Conner)
The animation itself overall ranges from quite nice moments
of perfection, to very surreal pieces that made me go: what?
The nice moments can range all over the place, like at the
beginning of the film when Mewsette muses herself with a butterfly on her head.
The river moves in and out of focus mimicking a waving motion that rivers have
while moving downstream/upstream/whatever stream. I like that effect much and it
has a degree of realism about it. At least I like to think so. Another bit I
liked is Mewsette on the train to Paris, and she literally takes a skip in her
stride excited that she is on the way to Paris. That's a bit of animation I
liked very much too, and it does reflect her naivety in one way.
The dreamlike fantasies that the characters create for
themselves are a little bizarre at times. With the predominate colour of blue
in the background, all sorts of colours are put together to create physical
buildings and create a world thought of with colour and dreams come too. Unlike
some of the normal moments, there can be some bits I don't like as much. In one
bit where Mewsette imagines what Paris will be like, some bits can twist all
around and feel quite out of place despite the colour yellow beaming out
all-round. But there are some silhouetted bits against a blackened background
that took the cake for me and were well drawn out.
There is one surreal piece for me that can be a little
off-putting and not necessary in the slightest. At one point, we see Mewsette
being painted many times over by some of the famous artists of the day (though
with some inaccuracies reported). When I rewatched them again, they can be
quite nice to look at, but they don't really serve a purpose in the movie
except to look pretty.
The backgrounds drawn out on screen aren't too bad either in
terms of design, blatantly influenced by a small group of artists called The
Impressionists from that time period (good going for historical accuracy). The
countryside stuff at the beginning of the film I don't like. The way it's been
drawn feels more of an imitation of a work then doing something unique to such
a world. The city of Paris left more of a vivid impression on me. The use of
different colours, especially the more darker purples, reds and greys, gave off
a city that looked very foreboding and intimidating, a nice contrast to the
world of the countryside. Maybe that was the intention I don't know.
Overall the animation can be really good and some bits can
match the mood of the characters at times. The dull stuff I find can be found
in between scenes quite a few times, and can be somewhat distracting from the
intended style in the picture, but I do like some little bits that can match
the characters very well, and the city does stand out as a good highlight
really well.
Animation = half a star *
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Writing:
Likewise with animation the writing can be quite clever at
times to slightly boring and not very inspiring.
The uninspired stuff comes from the amount of cat puns
around the film. Firstly, the three main character's names are obviously based
of cat noises and cat types. While I don't personally find it too much of a
bother, it's a bit too easy to give them those kind of names despite how cute
they may sound. Robespierre isn't that much of a weird name, though in one
scene near the end, he is wearing a Napoleonic hat. Not sure if that's really a
commentary or just something the writers put in to get a little laugh. Also
there is the sterotype of cats drinking milk. Strange as it may be, cats can't
always drink milk. A fun myth, but completely far-fetched.
derp?
Secondly, some of the dialogue can be a little strange and
can make the film somewhat less understandable. For example, Mewsette calls
Jaune Tom and Robespierre plebeians as an insult. I wonder how many people will
understand the meaning of it, especially kids watching this film for the first
time. It's definitely something to do with policemen I think, not commoners!
Also when Mewsette purrs, it sounds like a cement mixer. Not sure if cement
mixers existed in the late 19th century but ok then.
On the other hand, there are some good moments that I like
that appeal to people's imagination. Near the end again, Jaune Tom and
Robespierre try to catch a train but fail. Jaune Tom then wonders what if he
imagines. I won't give away what happens but that sort of writing doesn't
insult the watcher since they know what the character is like. Though granted
it does sort of come out of nowhere and is just an easy way out of a situation
sort of. Another bit I liked was how earlier in the film, Jaune Tom asked what
Paris was (?), getting the answer from a sarcastic cat that it's a village and
Robespierre remarking getting there that they'll never find Paris amongst them.
One more good thing is the overall timing of the film. Most
of it felt pretty solid and no one scene outstayed its welcome for too long,
using quick logical moments to push the story forward to the very end.
While I will say that the writing is sometimes a bit strange
and out-of-place half the time, it didn't always feel necessarily bad overall.
In fact, I found the nice moments can outweigh the bad stuff pretty well, and
have some funny lines every now and then. A good experience overall.
Writing gets one full star = *
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Music:
This is another big one besides the animation part.
Interesting fact, the songs and lyrics were composed by Wizard of Oz alumni
Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg. Off the top of my head, I can't think of anyone
who might have suggested them in quick succession.
Me neither!
When I was younger, the music didn't leave that much of an
impression on me in terms of being that great. Some of that feeling still
remains. 'Take My Hand Paree', while sounding good in its own right is
unimpressive because even though it gets louder, it doesn't feel bombastic
enough to hammer in the fantasy she has in her mind. It remains in an almost
quiet state throughout its little section, only letting the percussion in near
the end. A fantasy about going to a grand city should hold some kind of happiness
and a sense of nervousness at the same time, not something that is quiet and
nearly random most of the time. In one way, I do feel the same for 'Paris Is A
Lonely Town'. It's meant to be depressing yes, but I found it not very good
with some strange lyrics and the music being a little bit off for my taste.
But there are some songs that can leave a good impression. 'Roses
Red Violets Blue' is quite playful and joyous despite the lyrics not making
much sense, becoming more bombastic as it continues and perhaps going a little
over-the-top but not losing focus on where it's going. What might be a surprise
to some people is that it is quite a short song, lasting only 2 minutes in
length but it does come off as sort of natural in a weird way.
Another one I found quite addictive was 'The Money Cat'.
Another playful tune about a 'deal with the devil' theme, it is good to listen
to and a nice romp to join in with. It doesn't get too loud, but it's neither
too quiet either to bask in the evil presented on-screen, matching the colours
pretty well on screen with that red and black background. Again it lasts about around 2 minutes and 15 seconds,
but it is still a good deal of fun all the same.
The Mewsette finale is ok, but only because of Judy Garland
and Robert Goulet singing. The music is pretty much shunned to the back, and
probably for good reason. It doesn't sound very good and felt quiet again and
also boring to a point. I wouldn't go as far as to say it's generic like some
other songs I've heard that feel like filler, but it isn't as impressive for a
finale.
The music is not bad by any means, but to say they are
awesome would be an overstatement. I don't like the ballads very much because I
think they miss the mark more often than out. The happier stuff really can get
you going into a good mood sometimes, but they're not very well remembered. The
lyrics can be a little off putting too. 'Roses Red Violets Blue' for example,
has Mewsette comparing her love for Paris to the dawn of spring. But reading
the lyrics, they don't come off as very good, although Garland's voice does
give some sort of eloquence to it.
So yes, music is good at times, but it failed to make a significant
impact on me so much. No star for this section sadly.
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Final Review:
For a film that looks as if it has cheap animation, it is
still quite a fun little film for a weekend afternoon. It isn't bad by any means,
far from it. It does have some nice animated moments, good voice-acting and
writing to help it along the way. But it does have many bad parts that bring it
down a notch. The music does not hold up well for the much of the time, the
story can be a little off at times and despite some good animated moments,
there are a few creative decisions I don't really like, with the Impressionist
vision it took mostly at the beginning of the film.
I have heard certain comparisons on Youtube made with the
Nazi Regime......sorry, Disney! Always easy to mix those two up. Disney
released a film about 8 years later called 'The Artisocats', with a similar
background and the same type of female protagonist. And.....those are probably
the only two comparisons really. They're set in different periods of time in
Paris, different story-lines, different animation styles etc. There's no real
comparison there to talk about. Silly Youtube people.
I wondered whether this film would benefit from a re-make. I
know many re-makes in the past have been very unsatisfactory (see my American
Horror Remakes blog for that information) and granted this film might lose a
sense of uniqueness in one way, but this might be a good opportunity to bring
the film back into the limelight once more, be a re-make either good or bad.
Though the more I think about it at the minute, the more I would prefer to keep
the original intact because I wonder what things could change. It's something
I'll think about it in future.
For all its worth, Gay Purr-ee is worth a viewing for your
own eyes. A good film for an afternoon, provided you have the techniques to
watch. I hope you'll like it as much as I have.
FINAL RATING: 3/5
GOOD
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That's it for this month's edition. I'll see you all in May!
Randomizer out!
