Louis Wain was a man of many talents, but history mainly retains his portraits of cats. At the end of the XIXe century, the popularity of his designs was such that they would have even helped bring small cats into the living rooms of Britain as pets.
Supported by a narration by Olivia Colman, the account of this feature film by Will Sharpe (The Darkest Universe), who co-wrote the screenplay with Simon Stephenson (Luca), describes the career of a talented man, whose life will however be marked by the rejection of conventions and the weight of family responsibilities. In the absence of the father, this eldest of a family of six children – and the only boy – was expected to be able to adequately play the role of “leader” …
Marrying Emily (Claire Foy), a governess hired by one of his sisters to take care of the youngest (this causes a scandal in a society where the social classes are still very tight), Louis (Benedict Cumberbatch) will have to endure hardships which will obviously have an impact on his mental health. By choosing to tell the story of the artist’s entire life, the writers do not avoid the pitfalls of the classic biographical film, even if their character is, in a way, atypical. Louis Wain’s creative universe – and his take on the power of electricity – would have deserved a more fragmented approach.
Benedict Cumberbatch’s performance is obviously high profile, but his appearances in other historical dramas, The Imitation Game in particular, ensure that an impression of déjà vu intrudes surreptitiously.
In theaters in the original version, in a version dubbed in French and in an original version with French subtitles (under the title The extraordinary life of Louis Wain).
In theaters, on Amazon Prime Video starting November 5.
Biographical drama
The Electrical Life of Louis Wain
Will sharpe
With Benedict Cumberbatch, Claire Foy, Andrea Riseborough
1 h 51
Consult the film schedule