A Street Cat Named Bob (2016) Review!!!

Synopsis – Based on the international best selling book. The true feel good story of how James Bowen, a busker and recovering drug addict, had his life transformed when he met a stray ginger cat.

My Take – Cats are an endless source of public fascination, from infinite YouTube videos to the meteoric rise of Grumpy Cat, cats are affectionately ingrained in global culture. Felines barking counterparts are the subject of many household films, yet cats are seemingly lagging behind when it comes to cinematic representation. For the most part cats are relegated to comic relief on the big screen (see for example: That Darn Cat, The Cat From Outer Space, Garfield, Nine Lives), however, with this teary-eyed, feel-good feline drama charmingly attempts to correct position of cats in cinema. Adapted from James Bowen’s bestselling memoir (which spent 76 weeks in the UK’s Top 10 bestseller list, together with 30 language translations) this film is a beguiling and transformative tale of feline friendship. As an avid cat lover I was always going to enjoy this film. And as a person who myself suffered from severe lows in his life, I totally related to the lead character in every way. Whilst dealing with the subject of addiction is a very difficult issue to cover, I thought this film covered it well. Highlighting the lead character’s isolation, detachment from the outside World and people in general and the redemption he found by meeting Bob, a wandering cat, who just happened to enter his life. Despite the grays of the sink estate, homelessness, rough characters knocking about, and the loneliness and all, this isn’t a hard-and-grim take on the material: Director Roger Spottiswoode (The 6^th Day, Tomorrow Never Dies) is determined to make the journey as pleasant as possible, skimming over the (what must have been) more difficult moments of overdoses and withdrawals. Although the film is being criticized for not being gritty enough, or being “featherweight” and lacking in conflict, I believe the film offers almost exactly what you would expect it to and there’s nothing wrong with that. Sure, we have seen better films about the trials of homelessness, the tortures involved in getting clean from heroin. Yes, due to its rating, the horrors experienced by the main character can’t be quite as lurid, nightmarish and unsettling as those depicted in Danny Boyle’s Trainspotting. This film isn’t aimed at film critics looking for a cinematic thrill, it’s aimed at a mainstream audience, and it has a very different objective. You aren’t supposed to leave feeling like you’ve been there, you’re supposed to leave feeling like there’s hope. It makes you want to (and feel like you can) help. That’s the kind of film that encourages people to donate, volunteer, and generally do well. That’s a worthwhile thing.

The story follows James Bowen (Luke Treadaway), a young homeless man making his meager living playing guitar and singing songs in London’s Covent Garden. He’s also a recovering heroin addict, taking life day by day. Thanks to the help of a sympathetic substance abuse counselor Val (Joanne Froggatt), Bowen is given assistance with a government flat and methadone treatments. One evening, upon returning to his humble refuge, Bowen encounters a friendly orange tabby that has broken into the kitchen in order to eat his Corn Flakes. He tries to return the cat to its rightful owner, but can find no one in the neighborhood who will claim it. He turns the cat back out on the streets, but it returns several days later with a serious wound. Enlisting the help of a neighbor named Betty (Ruta Gedmintas) who happens to volunteer at a neighborhood animal clinic; Bowen nurses the animal back to health and dubs him Bob. The twosomes swiftly become inseparable, busking together around the tourist Mecca of Covent Garden, with James belting out melancholic ballads whilst Bob elegantly perches on his owner’s shoulder inquisitively eyeing up the curious passing crowds. The film contains an odd mixture of elements. On the one hand, it’s a cute animal film. On the other, it’s a semi-gritty tale of homelessness and drug addiction. The touching story line that involved the developing relationship between him and Bob was beautifully told. The cat made him smile again, gave him a reason to live. His social skills with people were not good but with the cat, he became stronger and happier as each day passed. This film was one of the most heartwarming films I have watched in a long while. Although the cat is the main focus of the film, it is more than just about a cat. This film also makes you consider the homeless community in London and how the drug culture on the streets is not something to be ignored. It also aids a good understanding of heroine on the streets, and the recovery process in becoming clean. This film allows a better understanding of how just because someone is homeless, it doesn’t mean they are hopeless; sometimes all they need is help, guidance, and a friend along the way, human or animal. The film also made me reflect on how we are so affected by animals and how having animals in our society helps us come together and understand each other better. Although some scenes made me angry, it also promotes awareness of how the homeless are shamed and how humans in general behave around the less fortunate. Roger Spottiswoode is a talented director (just look at his IMDB page) and yet he feels a strange choice to direct this. He made the Tom Hanks comedy Turner & Hooch a long time ago so he has form of working with animals and humans but this film is a million miles (and millions of dollars) away from that Disney crowd-pleaser. Here we have a small story that must have been a very delicate balancing act to get right at the script stage, a mixture of comedy & pathos that has to be able to not offend a family audience and yet deal with a serious subject matter and the huge uphill struggle James has to deal with, his desire to get clean of addiction for once and for all. And some credit must go to the screenwriter for showing the degrading and tragic side of drug addiction without making it too overtly harrowing.

If this film inspires one other person to turn their life around like Bob motivated James to do, or even stops one person turning to drugs as an escape then it will have done its job. The strength of the film is its moments of kindness. Critics also claim that the film doesn’t hit the emotional tones it’s supposed to hit, which I totally disagree with. It had me holding back tears on multiple occasions, but it did so when it was happy. The bit where the woman who chatted to James and Bob early on gives them some tuna and a knitted cat scarf, the bit where Betty gives James one of her dead brother’s paintings (something irreplaceable that she clearly treasures), James’s Father’s face when James tells him he’s finally clean. This film is brazenly kind; the overwhelming message is one that people are good. Another element that stands out about this film is the music, the busking songs performed by Treadaway himself, are catchy and full of heart, much like the film. The other element being London itself, the sights and the not so nice parts of the city actually give a real feel, either though bleak. Yes, it’s cheesy at times, but it isn’t patronizing. During the scenes of James going through cold turkey, it’s hard to accept all this dramatic weight after we’ve just been party to a comedic cat and dog chase through the London streets. James is someone you empathize with, not sympathize. You don’t feel sorry for him. I think this film set out to do something very different than what professional film critics look for. In spite of its flaws, the film remains a true-blue heart warmer. The passion at its core is palpable and, of course, Bob purrs his way into infamy. When a lovely lady knits him a little scarf, cuteness levels cannot be contained. It’s a family film that raises real issues in a sensitive way. And for that it should be praised. Luke Treadaway does a solid job as James Bowen, the lead character. He shows his vulnerable side making him extremely likable. In supporting roles, Anthony Head doesn’t need to do much to play James’s estranged father, but he handles the emotional turmoil hidden beneath the character’s austere exterior really well. Joanne Froggatt and Ruta Gedmintas (The Strain) are memorable as James’s doctor and distant love interest respectively. The latter is a bit too obviously ‘hippy chick’ but she just about gets away with it, and I respected that the romantic undertones of her story line climaxed in a bittersweet, realistic way. But let’s be honest, Bob (as himself) totally steals every scene he is in. A gorgeous ginger Tom, he is adorable and just oozes charm despite not having any dialogue. You could almost hear the audience warm to him from the first time we see him, helping himself to a box of cereal. Bob needed a home and someone to look after him and James needed Bob to find the strength to save himself and a sense of purpose in life. On the whole, ‘A Street Cat Named Bob’ is a heartfelt, touching, perfectly paced, enchanting and enjoyable feel good film about hope. This is not just a film for cat lovers.