I misread the blurb of new film as ‘Nine Lives is the story of Tom Brand (Kevin Spacey) a daredevil billionaire businessman who finds himself trapped inside by his family’s cat.’ I found this both a plausible and funny premise. But the true plot in which Kevin Spacey’s character finds himself trapped inside THE BODY of his family’s cat seems just as amusing and probably more sustainable for an hour or so.
Especially when you factor in that Tom Brand is a ‘daredevil billionaire at the top of his game’ (I envisage a Tony Stark meets Donald Trump type guy) whose company is about to finish the building of the tallest skyscraper in the northern hemisphere. However his workaholic lifestyle has led to a disconnect between Tom and his wife Lara played by Jennifer Garner (who was hilarious in Juno) and his daughter Rebecca (Malina Weissman).
On Rebecca’s 11th birthday Tom finds himself without a gift in time (I like that this billionaire maintains a personal touch and buys his own gifts rather than getting his PA to do it, 9 to 5 style) and decides to finally get the present his daughter has always wanted, a cat, even though he quite rightly hates cats. His GPS directs him to a mystical pet store owned by Felix Perkins, played by Christopher Walken. A big reason to watch this film, I think, is to hear Christopher Walken utter the name ‘Mr Fuzzypants’. Mr Fuzzypants being the cat Tom buys from the store.
En route to his daughter’s party Tom is in a car accident and, upon regaining consciousness, finds himself trapped in the body of the cat. Adopted by his own family he learns what life is truly like for a family pet and begins to see his family from a new and lower perspective. Meanwhile his family adjust to life with an odd and stubborn cat.
In order to return to his human form – as the husband and father his family deserve – Tom will have to learn why he has been places in this peculiar Freaky Friday style situation. Does that sound better than an hour watching the award winning actor Kevin Spacey trying to get passed a housecat to the front door? Philistines.
You can watch the trailer here.
Nine Lives will be released in the UK 9th August.
My film in which a man struggles to leave the house due to a cat is still in the pitching stage.
