Wes Anderson's 'The Rat Catcher' review: Not consistently engaging
The Rat Catcher is the third one in the series of Wes Anderson's four short films for Netflix. The first was The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, while the second one was Thursday's The Swan. Emboldened in classic Anderson style, the film has multiple breathtaking frames and is charged with believable performances, but its narrative doesn't remain consistently engaging and seems cold and distant.
What is the story?
It stars Ralph Fiennes, who plays Roald Dahl, on whose story TRC is based and the titular character), Rupert Friend (Claud, a mechanic and a rat), and Richard Ayoade, (an editor and the narrator). The premise is simple—the unnamed ratcatcher is called in a quaint English town to catch rats who have infested a hayrick. He tries, only to be outwitted by the rats.
Anderson invites us into a world that's already well set
When the figurative curtains first open, the story is already in motion and the narrator doesn't need to tell us that the town is dealing with an outpouring of rats, we already do. In doing so, the film saves plenty of time, which is essential since the short is only 17 minutes long. The grayish-yellow color palettes further lend it a oneiric quality.
There are layers to Fiennes's character
Fiennes is perfectly cast as the titular character—he's a man whose "footsteps didn't make a sound...not even on the gravel." We're never told his name—he's one of those people who are known only by their professions and not by their names. Perhaps a commentary on the labor class, where their profession merges into their personality, and names aren't needed to distinguish between them.
There's no compromise on the aesthetic quality
Since Anderson's films usually have a play-like setting, it seems to curtail the distance between us and the film. Add to it the famous aesthetic, and some frames look like a dedicatedly done painting. There's also an unintentional call back to Fiennes's best-known work, the Harry Potter films. Moreover, in the absence of props, actors expertly leverage their expressions to sell the film's ideas.
Negatives: It's the weakest out of the three shorts
Despite all these merits that keep The Rat Catcher going, it isn't as engaging or immersive as The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar or The Swan and lacks the warmth and inquisitive quality of both these short films. While there was never a dull moment in these movies, The Rat Catcher huffs and puffs in places, trying to desperately find its footing.
It becomes tough to care for the central story
The Rat Catcher also suffers because we can't bring ourselves to care for the events happening onscreen. Sure, it reminds us of the classic tale of The Pied Piper, but beyond that, it seemingly lacks a soul, and things seem artificial and resultantly, aloof. The razor-sharp dialogue and humor from the previous shorts are also absent and some initial dialogue is unnecessary and ineffective.
A one-time watch; gets 2.5/5 stars
The Rat Catcher truly springs to life in its final moments, when there's a consequential fight between the ratcatcher and a rat (Friend). The usage of fill lighting helps accentuate the tension between the two and lends the film gravitas, if only that were consistently present throughout the drama. All in all, this isn't Anderson's best, but can be watched once for its performances.
