Review of A Cat and Two Women

Hapless underachiever Shozu (Hisaya Morishige), who lives with his grasping, domineering mother (Chieko Naniwa), finds himself caught between Shinako (Isuzu Yamada) the dour and resentful, 'traditional' ex-wife who wants him back and Fukuko (Kyoko Kagawa), the perky and flirtatious 'modern' fiancée, who wants to keep him, and his cat Lily, who is his true soulmate. Although labeled as a comedy, the humour is understated (and some may have eluded my 'western' perspective) but the story is engaging (despite the fact that none of the main characters (except the cat) are particularly likable) and the cast is excellent (note: I watched an English subtitled version), especially the two women who 'hast no rage' when they feel that they are losing the battle for Shozu's affection to a cat. Like many Japanese films from the era, conflicts between traditional (ie classical Japanese) and modern (ie contemporaneous Western) values are central to the plot. Recommended to watch and and to read some of the commentary about the film available on-line. Spoiler: Despite the fact that Lily becomes a pawn in an increasingly bitter rivalry and is occasionally 'manhandled', she makes it to the closing credits unharmed.