By FilmInk Staff
Based on the popular memoir by James Bowen, and running largely on an upbeat, positive vibe, A Street Cat Named Bob dares to put two difficult subjects – drug addiction and homelessness – front and centre. Plus, there’s a cat.
Directed by veteran journeyman, Roger Spottiswoode (Under Fire, Air America, Tomorrow Never Dies) the true life drama follows James (gifted young actor, Luke Treadaway), a recovering drug addict and busker living rough on the streets of London and barely getting by. But when he meets a stray ginger cat called Bob, James’ life slowly starts to turn around. The too-cool Bob becomes a popular part of James’ busking act, perched endearingly on his shoulder, and the pair become odd local celebrities.
Unfolding in the early 2000s the pair eventually become a sensation on YouTube, then still a nascent phenomenon. A three-hankie weepie for cat lovers, A Street Cat Named Bob is also a tough-minded take on the horrors of addiction, and the redemptive power of a very unlikely friendship.
Let Bob curl up in your lap in the adorable featurette below.
A Street Cat Named Bob is in cinemas on February 9.
