Cat Chaser

It took many years before an Elmore Leonard book was given celluloid justice - Jackie Brown. However, this is a brave stab mainly thanks to an interesting cast, notably a sleazy Charles Durning in an unusual role.

It takes all of about five minutes to realise that this is not a Ferrara movie, the Direction is haphazard and uninspiring. Weller does his best but the character is so one-dimensional, he becomes a supporting character in his own movie. This movie has a lot of promise and deserves a revisit, casting maybe a George Clooney, Alec Baldwin or Val Kilmer in the Moran role.

File under forgettable Eighties thriller.

This movie was beset by corporate problems which may account for its rough edges. Elmore Leonard is one of the best detective story writers today, but even as a co-script writer, he couldn't do much with this confusing picture, made from one of his books (a terrific read, incidentally). .Aside from the beautiful art direction, an excellent Chick Correa score that's never gotten much play, and a nicely edgy appearance by the late Charles Durning, the poor man's Sidney Greenstreet, "Cat Chaser," set in the sultry, tropical Dominican Republic, is like wasting away in Margueritaville, sans Margueritas. .One saving grace is the dialogue -- vintage Elmore Leonard, especially the lines given to Charles Durning's character. Leonard is at the top of his game here and Durning's delivery, in his patented New York Irish accent, doesn't let him down. Peter Weller and Kelly McGillis are as unfetching a couple as possible. Director Abel Ferrara has done much better work elsewhere.

It's no secret that "Cat Chaser" was taken away from director Abel Ferrara and slapped together by committee right around the time of the Vestron bankruptcy. Consequently, Ferrara has disavowed this film. But he shouldn't. While it has some murky plotting, no doubt due to the re-editing, it's quite an interesting, evocative adaptation of an Elmore Leonard novel. Ferrara always impresses with his sharp direction, and the wonderful art direction really captures the feel of sleazy bars, motel rooms, and the Dominican Republic. Peter Weller is fine, Kelly McGillis is quite uninhibited in her numerous nude scenes, and it's fun to hear Charles Durning pronounce "toilet" as "tur-let." "Cat Chaser" is a lost treasure from the late 80's worthy of rediscovery and a director's edition DVD.

Cat Chaser had a fair amount of promise from the start. Its director is the maverick Abel Ferrara who was responsible for such transgressive movies as The Driller Killer and The Bad Lieutenant, while its story is sourced from a novel by crime genre master Elmore Leonard. It has an interesting cast which has Peter Weller in the lead role, with a very good support. Charles Durning turns in the best performance as a sleazy sidekick. Tomas Milian is the chief baddie but looks almost unrecognisable from his days as an icon in 70's Italian movies. Kelly McGillis puts in a very uninhibited performance that includes a fair amount of full frontal nudity and a tough scene where she is abused by Milian. Frederic Forrest also stars, although his character doesn't really have a lot to do other than fall in swimming pools.

Despite the good personnel Cat Chaser lacks a certain overall impetus. Its story feels more than a little bit confused at times. The whole plot-line involving Weller's character travelling to the Caribbean to revisit a girl who saved his life years earlier is, to put it mildly, under-developed. It really could have been removed with no damage to the film in the slightest. I think the tales of the film being heavily re-edited by the studio would explain the somewhat haphazard cut of the film we have. The hand of Ferrara is only occasionally felt, most notably in a couple of shocking scenes. The aforementioned sequence involving McGillis is one, the other occurs later on where two men are stripped naked and shot to death. Both are pretty shocking for sure.

Although you have to think this movie should have been better, it's overall a decent enough flick.

Story is so flat as to be practically catatonic

acting flat and wooden McGillis and Weller dull as dishwater here

Charles Dunning often inaudible speech off-putting .... why mumble when you could speak; does it make you sound more of a villain?

The historical point about US barging into Dominican Republic to stave off one more communist island a shameful chapter in an endless history of shameful chapters

... and yet and yet there is a charm here ... maybe the locale maybe Elmore maybe The Dominican vibe ... ha maybe Chick Corea playing the score ... maybe just 80s Noir special charm

a sort of bad version of Graham Greene on the corner of Raymond Chandler (hey i have just summarized Leonard here)

not a great film but not awful ... might watch it again see if i can understand more of Dunning this time ,... collecting 80s Noir US on VHS of late just because we can :)

PS someone was saying they did not know what Cat Chaser referred to: It was the name of his platoon/unit in 65. (sez so in the book)

PS 2 got intrigued by the story so got the book Leonard wrote and adapted for scenario with co-writer. Turns out they stayed REALLY CLOSE to the book; even lifting entire conversations practically verbatim Really enjoying the book AFTER the film as I can see scenes from the film whilst reading ...