A Street Cat Named Bob is a heart-warming and enjoyable film about an unlikely friendship. Based on James Bowen’s best- selling 2013 autobiographical book, this is a feel-good film about how a homeless man turned his life around with the help of a stray ginger cat named Bob.
Bowen (played by Luke Treadaway, from Unbroken) was a drug addict who ekes out a rough existence on the streets of London by busking. His counsellor Val (Joanne Froggatt, from Downton Abbey) secures him a small flat on a run-down housing estate as he tries to kick his habit. He finds a sympathetic ear with Betty (Ruta Gedmintas, from the TV series The Tudors), an avant-garde, vegan artist and neighbour whose life has also been touched by drug addiction.
But it is the arrival of Bob, a stray cat who wanders into his flat through an open window, that is the catalyst for the remarkable change in his circumstances. Bob accompanies Bowen into the city as he busks near Covent Garden Market. The cat’s presence attracts a huge crowd, especially with tourists eager to take selfies with them, but he is also a human interest story that also draws some media attention. Bowen also lands a gig selling The Big Issue, and Bob’s presence again is a huge draw card. Caring for Bob though seems to give his life a new purpose. And eventually there is a reconciliation with his estranged father (Anthony Head).
James and Bob become minor celebrities, but his situation is not without a few setbacks. A few selfish people create problems – including people bringing vicious dogs to his performances that unnecessarily scare Bob, and a rival Big Issue seller who is jealous of his success.
Despite some darker edges, director Roger Spottiswoode (the Bond thriller Tomorrow Never Dies) maintains a fairly upbeat mood throughout. This is not Spottiswoode’s first time working with animals, as his eclectic resume also includes the 1989 Tom Hanks vehicle Turner and Hooch. Spottiswoode manages to milk the slim scenario for moments of drama and humour, and he maintains a delicate balance between the sweet and the overly mawkish.
Defying that old adage about never working with animals, Treadaway seems quite comfortable with his feline co-star, and he brings plenty of laid back charm to his performance.
Bob the cat though has enormous appeal and expressive eyes, and is arguably the cutest feline to grace the screens since Milo And Otis. His antics will amuse and he is the real star of the film. And cinematographer Peter Wunstorf also throws in a few shots from Bob’s perspective, a clever move that immerses us into his world as well.
Nonetheless, despite Bob’s winning presence, this is not a film for younger kids as it also deals with some darker themes and widespread social issues like poverty, the problems facing the homeless, the drug culture, and dysfunctional family relationships.
Director: Roger Spottiswoode
Cast: Luke Treadaway, Ruta Gedmintas, Joanne Froggatt, Anthony Head
Release Date: 9 February 2017
Rating: PG
Greg King
David Edwards is the editor of The Blurb and a contributor on film and television
