At The Movies: Cat Person
Cat Person is a gritty, confronting and darkly honest portrayal of the mishaps and dangers of dating in a modern world. We follow Margot played by Emilia Jones, a well-educated college student in her early twenties and her experience of dating in the modern world. Shadowed by Taylor, who is portrayed by Geraldine Viswanathan, her charismatic and articulate feminist best friend, Margot and the audience are reminded of how women should be able to feel confident in bluntly speaking their minds without fears of physical violence, suppression, or emotional backlash.
Virtual relationships through social media and texting and their confusion with reality are explored within the film, as well as how something can be misinterpreted when not communicated in person. Originally a short fiction piece by Kristen Roupenian published in The New Yorker in 2017 with the same title, Cat Person was written at the peak of the ‘MeToo’ movement. Both story and film highlight the dynamics of heterosexual dating and the questionable ethics of romantic relationships sustained between couples with large age gaps.
The director, Susanna Fogel, successfully portrays the complexities of dating, as Margot navigates her way through a new relationship that is predominantly played out through texting with her love interest. Montages of Margot moving through college and social events are somewhat superimposed with text exchanges between her and Robert, played by Nicholas Braun. They show awkwardly cringey and shallow comments about snacks and movies, leaving the audience wincing at dolphin emojis and promises to meet parents after the first encounter.
Through the perspective of both a feminist lens and male gaze, the fetishism of females and subjection of women is aggravatingly portrayed. Many layers of social commentary and symbolic references of how dangerous it can be for women to trust, and date are carefully portrayed, right through to Margot’s flinchingly honest and disgustingly uncomfortable internal monologues during intimate scenes with Robert. This crucial scene shows audiences the delicate nuances of danger and safety Margot balances between when with Robert. We hear what Margot could choose to do and the threat she could face if she chooses to act differently or say certain things in this scene. Once again, the audience is confronted with a hypothetical foreboding threat of violence she could encounter if she doesn’t appease his male agenda.
From Robert’s first “sweetheart” and descriptions of Margot revolving only around her physical beauty, to his last misogynistic descriptions and treatment of Margot, the director Fogel highlights the problematic language used to describe women and how this reflects and deeply influences a disjointed, sexist society. Symbolic references are shown throughout the film to show struggles between the imbalances of equality between women and men. These are shown through subtle hints, where Robert buys himself a blue frozen drink and Margot a strawberry pink one. Roberts support of gender stereotypes are also highlighted when he refers to having to “look after her already”.
By the film’s end, the audience is left with a lingering sense of dread about Margot’s safety as well as our past and future tribulations of love and dating in contemporary society. Cat Person will have you debating many issues, like police protection, men and feminism and the responsibility of society to teach people how to dissect and dismember double standards.
Movie Review By Zara Zampaglione
