SnoReptilePlenty Memorable, crazy movie

Intcatinfo A Masterpiece!

Zandra The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

Isbel A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Lele I have to premise that I am strongly convinced that animals are just animals. I feel annoyed by people who say "Animals are better than humans: they don't betray you " and bulls**t like this.Thus I hated people who ignored James without the cat and are kind and generous with the cat. Just like I hate cat and/or dog videos on social media. In my country, in Italy, there are more pets than babies, and I'll be happy with our extintion as a species because we deserve it.On the other side there is the story of redemption of James who finds an aim through the cat who becomes his project. I am happy with this, but is it not a kind of sad to think that no human being, not even his own father, has helped him to recover?One moment: a decent person in this movie does exist and is Val, the social worker. She is the actual heroine (no pun intended).Social workers are at very high risk of burning out because they usually cannot see very much good results of their (hard) work. I sincerely admired the character of Val. She believed in James and gave him a home and advices and after all James success was also her success.I did not find the movie so embroidered as other reviewers have said before me. The story is quite harsh and it is harshly told. Think at the sequence when he suffers for the methadone suspension! It was like Hell on Earth, and it was great that James succeded in healing. Not easy, and it was finely descripted.Acting was fine as Luke Treadaway did not push too strongly on the pleased compassion key. Directing was also fine and tones were not unbalanced even in the most dramatic moments, like the death of his mate.To me one of the toughest scene was when the lady wanted to BUY the cat and James told her if she wanted to sell her child. The lady was convinced that the cat had the right to have a home, her home, giving for granted that James was not a decent owner.Also when James says he was called "sir" for the first time AFTER he got the cat. The portrait of human misery in my opinion. If one gives a s**t about junkies, then he should care even less about a man with a cat!

Leigh Neil I really enjoyed this film and think it achieves it's purpose admirably. No, it's not a no-frills down and dirty look at the horrors of drug addiction/withdrawal or the hell of living on the street, but it gives a glimpse of those things while presenting the moving - even at times inspiring - story of James Bowen (and of course Bob).It's a film you can enjoy without needing to be in the mood for intense and provocative intellectual stimulation, but is definitely not lightweight either. Nicely balanced and fun to watch, I'd be happy to recommend it.

krocheav After reading a brief synopsis of this movie figured it could be interesting – then followed a strong recommendation from friends. It certainly proved worth the time and money (if sadly not quite so for the producers). This is the sort of project I imagine several directors may have taken a look at the script then run screaming from the room. There's actually not much more the producers could have achieved with the material - other than the treatment they've ended up with. The initial story is a grim battle to overcome drug addiction and death among the homeless. Add to this, the heavy participation of a cat - which meant the final product then, had to please two totally opposite audiences. The outcome is a decent balance between a deathly harrowing real life situation and a rising-above-the-rot victory. Among other things, the movie shows us it's a bit of a worry that people don't seem to want to give to street dwellers and beggars but, add a cat to your situation and the money comes rolling in. Yes, most everyone has a different attraction to Animals – rightly or wrongly.This is relatively easy to understand, to a degree. I suppose many people have become cynical through being 'taken-for-ride' by the con artists - who spoil it for those genuinely doing it tough. What lifts this one above being an overly sugary mix is the fact this partnership, is built on the unique need to survive on the mean streets and simultaneously overcome the devil on the skids. The Cat (played by the real Bob) is an undeniable trooper and these hapless lost souls find strength to go that extra mile from each other. Performances are neat enough and the production manages to look impressive - even while trundling out some grim London situations. Some songs seem manufactured for the movie but they work well, so this is not a drawback. It's a delicate balancing act but the message is delivered in such a manner - that most audiences should come away with something to feel positive about and, regard it all as well worth the time.

jimbo-53-186511 James Bowen (Luke Treadaway) is a homeless man who's recovering from drug addiction and, in order to try and get by, he makes his money by busking in Covent Garden. After suffering a relapse, James is given one last lifeline by his drug counsellor Val (Joanne Froggatt) whom manages to acquire him some accommodation on the proviso that he cleans up his act. However, James' rocky road to recovery begins with the most unlikely of packages in the form of a stray cat named Bob...Sometimes it is the simplest of films that are often the most effective and A Street Cat Named Bob is a good case in point. What we effectively have here is the story of a young man who has made some bad choices in life and is desperate to sort his life out and get clean. When a stray cat is introduced into his life this gives him something other than himself to focus his attention on and he basically chooses to put the cat before himself which of course makes him an endearing character - in spite of him being a recovering drug addict.The other thread to the story is James' developing friendship with Betty (Ruta Gedmintas) which basically gives James an insight into what a normal existence could be like; one gets the impression that he probably hadn't had too many healthy influences in his life for quite some time up till this point. The friendship played out between Gedmintas and Treadaway is sweet and the pair have a wonderful, easy-going chemistry about them.One of the main standout points in this film is Luke Treadaway who takes us on this emotional journey as the real life James Bowen in wonderful fashion - his commitment and dedication is evident on screen and he is never less than 100% convincing (this is made all the better when you remember that he probably spends half of the film talking to a cat).As good as this film is I think it's fair to say that it has one or two weak spots; the thread with Bowen's parents seemed to be clumsily thrown into the story without much real thought or development and I couldn't help but feel that the film wouldn't have been any different if they weren't mentioned at all? The screenplay is also a bit safe and clinical; for example in its early stages virtually every problem that Bowen encountered was able to be resolved without too many issues yet in the latter stages of the film everything seems to go wrong for him despite his best efforts to get his life on track. I can only assume that this approach has been employed to make the picture more dramatic, but it does render some aspects of the picture to be somewhat unbelievable. The same approach seems to have been adopted with Bowen dealing with his drug addiction making the narrative feel slightly uneven at times.Still this is a very good film that is funny, heart-warming, uplifting and inspirational and just goes to show that anyone can turn their life around if they have the desire to do so. In spite of some of its weaknesses, it is still a film that's brimming with both positivity and likability.