First Take: A Street Cat Named Bob- possibly the first film where my opinion changed AFTER the screening

SYPNOSIS:

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.

So this has been a fun one to write up. Initially, and as many regular readers can attest to I had hailed this as a Film of the Year contender, but a day after seeing this film, it’s not having the same impact as it did after the screening.

The direction from Roger Spottiswoode is decent, with a few minor pacing issues at points keeping it from being a well made film. The performances are good, with Luke Treadaway putting in yet more outstanding work alongside a cat who is literally the star of the show, but the general quality of the film was below my standards. It’s obvious that the film was made for a shoestring budget, as the cinematography was dull and flat, the script was OK, but could have been made a little bit slicker in terms of narrative development, and even though it is grounded in realism and the idea of truth, it is a little bit too heavy to be a family drama/comedy, and most importantly a little unsuited to a 12a certificate due to its sizable plot points on drug addiction and recovering from it. Admittedly, the original songs written for the film provided some moments of solace, but it felt forgettable afterwards- stories like this need to be done in a way that sticks in the minds of audiences.

THE VERDICT

A Street Cat Named Bob does exactly what it’s supposed to do, however afterwards it feels flimsy and a little underwhelming compared to the original source material. It may have won me over on the night, but unfortunately Nerve still has that number 1 contender spot for Film of the Year.

Rating: 3.5/5