Friday, November 19, 2021
The Electrical Life of Louis Wain
Benedict Cumberbatch plays Louis Wain, British artist famous for his anthropomorphic cat illustrations during the Victorian period. This is a most peculiar film about a most peculiar man. Saddled with being the main family provider when his father died, he became a freelance illustrator with entrepreneur dreams but was rather naive & had little business sense. He finds love & marriage with his sisters’ governess, Emily Richardson (Claire Foy). Her illness & a rescued cat, Peter, marks the beginnings of his fame & no fortune through to his later decline in mental health. Cumberbatch again gives a marvelous performance demonstrating his wide acting range.
Alien gives it 2 “fear of drowning & fascination with electricity” stars out of 4.
