English artist Louis Wain rises to prominence at the end of the 19th century for his surreal cat paintings that seemed to reflect his declining sanity.English artist Louis Wain rises to prominence at the end of the 19th century for his surreal cat paintings that seemed to reflect his declining sanity.English artist Louis Wain rises to prominence at the end of the 19th century for his surreal cat paintings that seemed to reflect his declining sanity.
- Awards
- 4 wins & 7 nominations
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe sound of a Theremin can be heard prominently in the soundtrack. Although rarely used these days due to its association with old horror and science fiction films of the 1950s, in the 1920s, the Theremin was considered a revolutionary and new musical instrument and representative of the dawn of the age of electricity. This is in keeping with Louis Wain's view of electricity being the future of life.
- GoofsIt is not true to say, as the film claims, that before Louis Wain cats were not kept as pets in Britain. Many famous people were open about having cats as pets throughout the 19th century and before. Notably Edward Lear, Emily Brontë, Horace Walpole, Florence Nightingale, Robert Southey and Queen Victoria to name but a few.
- Quotes
Louis Wain: You make the world beautiful and warm and kind. I just wanted to say thank you for that before it's too late.
Emily Richardson-Wain: I don't make the world beautiful, Louis. The world is beautiful, and you've helped me to see that, too. Just remember - however hard things get, however much you feel like you're struggling, the world is full of beauty. And it's up to you to capture it, Louis. To look and to share it with as many people as you can. You are a prism through which that beam of life refracts.
- ConnectionsFeatured in The Graham Norton Show: New Year's Eve Show (2021)
This is really a lovely film. Wain, who lives with his five sisters and mother, is flighty. As a result, his sister Caroline (Andrea Risborough) is in charge of the family and sets about to hire a governess, Emily (Claire Foy).
Louis has a million things going on in his head, some of which don't make much sense. He certainly can draw, though. He's also very busy inventing and actually composes an opera ("this isn't really even music," he's told).
When he meets Emily, however, Louis takes on a new interest. She is ten years older than he, and they are of different social standings. Nevertheless, they fall in love and marry. Unfortunately, she is diagnosed with terminal breast cancer not long after.
One day they find a kitten in the rain and name it Peter. Peter gives Emily much comfort during her illness, and Louis begins to draw him. Thus begins his cat illustrations, which bring him success.
Historians believe Louis was schizophrenic and that his advancing illness can be seen in his drawings, which become hallucinogenic later on in his career. He is eventually sent to a state institution, but his fans, including H. G. Wells, raise money to have him sent to more comfortable surroundings, where he lives out his life.
Benedict Cumberbatch - the arrogant genius of Sherlock, the cruel, repressed cowboy in The Power of the Dog, the tortured agent in The Courier, the brilliant Alan Turing, the unstable alcoholic of Patrick Melrose, here adds another brilliant performance to his resume. Passionate, loving, and gentle, whimsical, becoming more and more erratic as time goes on.
Some argue that Wain comes off as too crazy here, and yet others think he is more whimsical and wonder if it wouldn't be more dramatic if his descent into madness had been shown more. Nevertheless, the film has much beauty and many good scenes in it.
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official sites
- Language
- Also known as
- Louis Wain
- Filming locations
- Coast House B&B, Deal, Kent, England, UK(Exterior, Bendigo Lodge, conservatory)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross worldwide
- $1,509,173
- Runtime1 hour 51 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1