Watch The Nine Lives of Tomas Katz

The Nine Lives of Tomas Katz is a British fantasy-comedy movie written and directed by Ben Hopkins. The movie was released in 2000 and stars Tom Fisher as Tomas Katz, Ian McNeice as the Inspector, and Tony Maudsley as Dolores. The movie is set in a fictional version of London, where Tomas Katz is a mysterious and enigmatic character who wanders the city's streets and subways. Tomas is a shape-shifting being with multiple lives, each representing a different aspect of his personality.

The movie presents Tomas as an enigma, a man who can control the world around him with his mere presence. As he connects with various people he comes across, he starts to reveal different parts of himself. For instance, in one encounter he impersonates the male lover of a distraught women he found crying. In another scene, he transforms into a young boy who speaks in dialect, making an attempt to persuade a group of beggars to abandon their despair and believe that life could have something better in store for them.

As Tomas continues his travels throughout the city, he encounters the Inspector who is investigating a series of strange occurrences happening around the city. The Inspector eventually concludes that Tomas may be the cause of all the weird events happening and decides to pursue him.

Throughout the movie, Tomas' actions gradually become more and more absurd as he interacts with the people he meets on his way. He transforms into various characters, including a poet, a priest, a burglar, a homeless man, and many more. Each transformation allows Tomas to experience the city's different layers, each with its peculiarities, secrets, and encounters.

The Nine Lives of Tomas Katz is a fantastical tale that explores themes of identity, self-discovery, and existentialism. The movie does not always provide an explicit explanation of what is going on, but instead invites the viewer to draw their conclusions by reflecting on Tomas' experiences and interactions.

The movie's director, Ben Hopkins, uses a range of film techniques throughout the film, and the movie has a unique style that deviates from many traditional narrative structures. The story unfolds in a nonlinear fashion, jumping in time and space, making the viewer question what is real and what is a dream.

The Nine Lives of Tomas Katz features brilliant performances from the main cast of actors, particularly Tom Fisher as Tomas. Throughout his various transformations, Fisher captivates the audience with his ability to embody each character so seamlessly.

In addition to an excellent cast and masterful direction, the movie is complemented by striking visuals and ambience. The set design and the use of lighting allows the film to create an atmosphere of magical realism, where the impossible seems possible.

The Nine Lives of Tomas Katz is a unique and eccentric film that provides a thought-provoking experience for both the viewers and the characters in the film. Its meditative pace, non-linear structure, and deliberately enigmatic perspective give the movie an otherworldly quality that makes it one of the most exceptional pieces of British filmmaking history. The movie has earned a cult following owing to its baffling yet intriguing nature. Its surrealist edge ensures that each viewer can interpret the film’s meaning differently, which adds to its appeal.

The Nine Lives of Tomas Katz is a 2000 comedy with a runtime of 1 hour and 28 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.9.