A Street Cat named Bob

FILM REVIEW

Well the shark fisherman has done a couple of book reviews. Now he turns his hand to a bit of Barry Norman and Mark Kermode. I bought the book in a charity shop in Whitchurch Rd, Cardiff, a couple of years ago and lent it to another cat lover and never got it back. So I saw this was on and went for it! The Screen on the Green in Islington makes a cameo appearance as do a number of recognisable actresses but no names, no pack drill to spoil it for you! The actor who plays busker James Bowen is a fine actor but too fine for this film. If the singing is really him, then he should stick with busking and forget the cat and selling the Big Issue, what a voice! The cinematography at the beginning is all over the place and I felt a bit dizzy as I wasn't sure whose POV it was. It suddenly dawned on me that we were momentarily seeing the world from street cat Bob's point of view. I'll let you decide whether it works. The character of James the busker is ignored by all and sundry, even his father who was on vacation from Australia and Buffy the Vampire Slayer but the moment he turns up at Covent Garden with a beautiful green eyed ginger tom, he slays em. Then everybody wants to be his friend. James best friend in the film is played by a runty little guy with a Welsh accent which I identified as flat valleys and could have been from anywhere between Neath and Tonyrefail. Baz is something out of a Dicken's novel which is handy because the film gives a nod to Christmas time. The bit which floored me was when James turns up to his Dad's house for New Year's Eve and he is greeted by the two girls who were on holiday in a Youth Hostel in Eryri, the last time I was there. Crikey, they get about I thought! It is a film about broken homes and how broken families can lead to broken souls. Personally I wish the real James Bowen had played himself, a tad unfair to the main actor who carried it off but there was too much shine and polish for my liking. I wanted more rough and ready. There were parts which reminded me of Trainspotting but of course the Director couldn't go too far because there was a cat in it and it has a 12a rating. So we have the Busker and Bob and Baz and then the 'luuurve' interest Betty, although James would not listen to his support worker who said to him "You are not ready for a relationship". So the film could have been called the 4Bs! Oh for names not beginning with B! Apart from the main characters, people, don't come out of it very well! People in general! They are menacing and leery and even the well meaning ones are out to line their own pockets. Without the Cat, there would be no book and no film and no, possibly happy ever after because James is an addict and we know that there are no happy ever afters for junkies (not my word but the twin girls' word) just good days and better days! The problem is that people could leave the cinema thinking that their own cat or friendly neighbour-hood stray could transform their lives. It's only a problem if they don't believe it.