CATFIGHT

US, 2016, 95 minutes, Colour.
Sandro Oh, Anne Heche, Alicia Silverstone, Amy Hill, Ariel Kavousse, Stephen Gevedon.
Directed by Onur Tukel.

An arresting title but one which audiences with sensitive sensibilities may not want to pursue. And, yes, there are several fights, sometimes with a touch of the vicious, between the two leading women.

The film is something of a character study. The main study is that of Veronica, a woman who has married well, is wealthy, her husband involved in arms deals. She also has a young teenage son who has a capacity for drawing. The other study is that of Ashley, an artist, rather modern in her subjects and style, dominating her assistant, in a relationship, undergoing insemination for a pregnancy.

Sandra Oh is very good as Veronica. Anne Heche has a more difficult role with the temperamental Ashley. Alicia Silverstone is her partner.

The women have known each other at college and may have been friends. At a party where Ashley is a waitress and Veronica a guest, drinking too much, they clash and there is the first catfight.

Veronica spends two years in a coma, waking to find that her husband and son are dead, that she has no money, moves in with the family maid, working on cleaning hotels, eventually going to live with her eccentric aunt in the country. However, Veronica goes to Ashley’s exhibition, sees a painting that represents herself and the fight, wreaks havoc at the gallery, fights Ashley who then spends two years in a coma, depending on the young artist, her assistant, whom she dominated.

There is an ominous war background to the story, arms deals, American sensibilities, Ashley’s painting subjects, Veronica’s son volunteering for service and killed in action. And, when Ashley goes to visit Veronica in the country, Veronica taking comfort in final videos from her son, there is an accident – and a final catfight at the end and a scene to show that this fight was never necessary.

1. The title? Fights between women? The clashes between Veronica and Ashley? Destructive fights?

2. The settings, an affluent world, parties and social, offices? The comparisons with the art world, the studio? Hospitals, comas, physiotherapy? Hotels and cleaning? Art exhibitions? The contrast with the countryside? The musical score?

3. Veronica, her age, her husband and his work, success, contracts? War and armaments? Her son, his age, his artwork, her ambitions for him, for a job to make money? The celebratory party, her drinking?

4. Ashley, the style of her art, Sally as her assistant and imposing on her? The critics and their reactions, the buyers, exhibitions? Her modern style, social comment? Her relationship with Lisa, love, the issue of pregnancy, the artificial insemination? Her anger with Lisa and Lisa carrying around the baby doll as if it were real?

5. The meeting, Ashley as a waitress, memories of the past, the tensions, the viciousness of the fight, Veronica falling down stairs, her coma?

6. In coma for two years, the maid and her giving her the information, the maid working in the hospital, the husband’s death, the son at war, his death? All the money used up though insurance? The physiotherapy, her having to leave? The maid taking her in, staying with her, the work in the hotel, stealing the magazine and the confrontation? Phoning her aunt, her eccentricities, the decision to go to the country? Going to Ashley’s exhibition?

7. Ashley, her life during the two years, the war subjects, the modern style, the use of colours, her discrimination about which to use and not? Sally and her assistance? The critics, the buyers, the buildup to the exhibition? Successful sales?

8. Veronica arriving, the confrontation, tearing down the paintings, the chase into the streets, the fight, Ashley’s injuries?

9. Ashley in coma for two years, Sally passing by, the visit, Sally and her success with her comic book? Helping Ashley, dominating her? Ashlyn the therapy, no money?

10. Veronica, her aunt, the touch of the apocalyptic?

11. Ashley arriving, fight, bonding, Veronica and her comfort from the video of her son, the segments playing? Ashley listening, the water on the camera? Veronica and her rage, Ashley’s response, the fight?

12. The irony of the camera rebooting – and the uselessness of the catfight?

13. The pervading background of war, weapons, the US involvement, the death of Veronica’s son?