story of the cat women (do you think it's rea)l

“Catwoman epitomizes fantasy,” says actress Halle Berry, who plays the feral antihero. “She’s who every woman wants to be and every man would like to be with. In many ways cats embody the true psyche of women – cats are very elusive, and you have to work to gain their trust and their respect. It’s not something that’s given very freely. I’ve heard it said that dogs have masters, but cats have servants. And it’s true!”
Since she made her comic book debut as ‘The Cat’ in DC Comics’ Batman #1 in 1940, the character of Catwoman has undergone many incarnations on her journey to becoming the slinky archetype she is today. “Because of her mythological nature, there is an inherent freedom for interpretation with this character,” comments producer Ed McDonnell. “Our film remains true to the essence of Catwoman while bringing her into a contemporary time.”
Catwoman puts a new twist on the legend, introducing the character of Patience Philips, a woman who is in desperate need of some power – not to mention a little bit of fun. She finds both when she is mysteriously transformed into the dangerous and decadent Catwoman. “I wanted to tell a true origin story of this character,” explains producer Denise Di Novi, “to show how one woman became Catwoman and what it means to connect to that feline power.”
“This is a Catwoman for the 21st century,” says Berry. “She’s very modern and very reflective of our collective culture as we know it today. Our Catwoman is theoretically one of many who have gone before her and who will come after her – Patience and I are just the next lucky girls to have been chosen.”
In the wake of her inexplicable metamorphosis, Patience is shocked to find herself suddenly exhibiting a host of very unexpected new personality traits. Where Patience was meek and modest, Catwoman is bold and flirtatious; while Patience was painfully unsure of herself, Catwoman exudes confidence and strength. Casting a character who undergoes such a rapid and extreme evolution presented a challenge to the filmmakers, who turned to the only actress they believed could handle the rigors of the role: Academy Award winner Halle Berry.
“What’s so unique about Halle is that not only is she sympathetic and likeable, she’s also sexy and strong,” explains Di Novi. “She was able to seamlessly and convincingly play what are essentially three roles: Patience before her transformation, who is very vulnerable and timid; Patience in transition, when she is struggling with Catwoman’s emergence; and finally after she becomes a full-blown Catwoman.”
According to Berry, at the time that Di Novi approached her for the role, Catwoman was just what the doctor ordered. “What I’ve found is that projects always come my way that serve me best in real life,” muses the actress. “I needed to be Catwoman. I needed to take control of my life, and putting on that suit made it a whole lot easier. I felt empowered and strong and sexy – connected with myself as a woman.”
Unlike Patience, Catwoman not only understands her newfound dominance and sensuality – she relishes it. “I wouldn’t exactly call her a role model,” cautions Berry with a laugh, “because she does do some naughty things. She’s nice and naughty and naughty and nice. I would, however, say that what Patience learns holds a lot of value for any woman who is discovering her own needs and desires.”
The actress is also appreciative of the somewhat less introspective aspects of the film. “This is a popcorn-eatin,’ ass-whoopin’ summer action adventure,” she enthuses. “There’s humor, a sweet love story and a lot of catfights. Did I mention she’s a little naughty?”
The lucky recipient of Patience’s niceties and Catwoman’s naughtiness is police detective Tom Lone, played by Emmy-nominated actor Benjamin Bratt. “Ben radiates strength and goodness and manliness,” compliments Di Novi. “He’s an incredibly romantic lead, and he and Halle have amazing chemistry in the movie.”
Lone becomes intrigued by Patience after a chance meeting, but their promising relationship is quickly complicated when Catwoman emerges – particularly when she becomes the elusive main suspect in a string of crimes the detective is investigating. Unbeknownst to him, Lone is developing two distinct relationships with different sides of the same person. Their cat-and-mouse game heats up as Lone begins to suspect that Patience is somehow linked to the enigmatic Catwoman.
“Lone is a straight shooter,” says Bratt. “He’s a detective who is good at his job, and who believes in right and wrong, black and white – there’s not a lot of gray area in the world for him. So it presents an interesting problem when he develops feelings for someone who may or may not be involved in some shady dealings.”
“She creates a quandary for him,” adds Berry, “because she is fighting for a noble cause, but she’s doing it outside the law. Is she a red-blooded woman and a girl who wants to have fun? Absolutely. Is she perfect? Absolutely not. But her intentions are good, and Lone is torn as to what he should do about it.” Patience’s burgeoning new persona complicates more than her love life – it also gets her fired from her job at cosmetics conglomerate Hedare Beauty; her boss, George Hedare, doesn’t appreciate his formerly obedient employee’s sudden penchant for rebellion. Lambert Wilson and Sharon Stone portray George and Laurel Hedare, the megalomaniacal and combative husband and wife team at the helm of the high-profile company.
“Hedare represents those cosmetics companies in the world that prey upon women’s insecurities,” says Di Novi. “The message is that you have to look younger and you have to be perfect, and we play with a lot of that in our movie. Catwoman finds out that this company is planning something evil, and decides that she has to put a stop to it – by any means necessary.”
George’s wife, supermodel Laurel Hedare, is facing problems of her own. While she has been the iconic face of the company for many years, her husband has recently decided that she is getting too old to represent a business that hinges on making women believe that they need to look younger to be attractive. He has demanded that Laurel step down to make way for her 22-year-old replacement – in more ways than one. But Laurel isn’t one to go quietly, and she knows a thing or two about revenge.
For the role of glamorous beauty queen Laurel Hedare, the filmmakers turned to Academy Award-nominated actress Sharon Stone, herself a former model. “Sharon is so strong and has such a powerful persona,” says Di Novi. “She’s perfect in the role of a woman who represents the ideal beauty and also wields a lot of power in a corporate environment.”
“I enjoyed playing this part because I get ‘the joke’ about Laurel,” says Stone of her obsessively vain character. “I will not go around saying I’m 35, because I just don’t believe in that. But Laurel does bow to the pressure from society to stay young at all costs, to be perfect – ‘to be more’ as the Hedare slogan says. I really like what this movie has to say about finding out who you are and then giving yourself the power to just be yourself. No more, no less, just yourself.”
When Patience is reborn as Catwoman, she is understandably confused and frightened by her astonishing physical prowess, not to mention her sudden interest in small rodents. Her only clue as to what may be going on is the enigmatic presence of the beautiful cat who keeps materializing at pivotal moments in Patience’s life. The cat’s tag leads her to the doorstep of Ophelia Powers, a peculiar, reclusive ‘cat lady’ who is destined to become Patience’s unlikely mentor and guide.
Ophelia is played by Frances Conroy, winner of a Golden Globe and two Emmy nominations for her role as Ruth Fisher on the popular HBO drama Six Feet Under. “At first, Ophelia just seems like a woman who is somewhat charming and has a great number of cats,” says Conroy. “Then you realize that she is there for a purpose, to help Patience blossom from a young woman whose life has been snatched away to a young woman whose life is given back. She explains to Patience that she actually died and was brought back, and that this same phenomenon has happened to women throughout history.”
“Just imagine!” says Berry. “That’s a pretty heavy, trippy proposition to have laid on you, but that’s where Patience first starts to discover that as bizarre as this situation is, it’s happening to her, and she begins to embrace it.”
“I’m so fortunate that we have such an amazing group of talented actors in our film,” says Di Novi. “Their performances were instrumental in getting this story told in the way I had always envisioned it.”
The filmmakers’ choice of director was also key in crafting the film that Di Novi wanted to make. To this end, they turned to innovative French director Pitof. “I wanted Catwoman to have a completely original style, and Pitof is a brilliant visualist,” says Di Novi. “He delivered a movie that is incredibly dynamic and entertaining.”
Catwoman marks Pitof’s American film directorial debut. He began his career as an assistant director and editor of films and commercials, eventually becoming a pioneer of digital imaging in France. Pitof’s French directorial debut was the feature Vidocq, a gripping film that featured groundbreaking visual effects.
“We were looking to make a very unique picture,” says McDonnell, “and when we saw Vidocq, we knew immediately that Pitof was the guy. He’s incredibly stylish without being overwhelming and his use of lenses and cameras is amazing. I think audiences are really going to be entertained by his approach to storytelling.”
“I feel so privileged to have been entrusted with such a compelling project,” says Pitof. “When you look at the history of Catwoman and the women who have portrayed her over the years, there is a common spirit between them. It is this spirit of confidence and individuality that made Catwoman so appealing to me and that has captivated audiences for decades.”

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