If you’re still looking for a feel-good movie to get you in the right spirit for holiday season, let me introduce you to Bob, the sassiest and cutest cat on screen in ages.
With just one look, he’ll have you twisted around his finger (or paw), and in the course of the movie A Street Cat Named Bob he’ll make you wish you had a little ginger cat waiting at your doorstep when you get home.
You’d have to be very hard-hearted and cynical not to be touched by the true story of James and Bob: The former (Luke Treadaway) is a recovering drug addict and busker struggling to get back on his feet, the latter is a cheeky street cat that breaks into James’ house, eats his only food and then decides to stay with him.
They become inseparable, and Bob even accompanies James to central London, riding the bus like a pro and sitting on James’ shoulder when they are walking. Thanks to this unlikely friendship, things are finally looking up for James.
The actors are all convincing and likeable, but the highlight is definitely Bob: He steals the show in every single scene despite not being trained for movies and will make you smile and laugh all the time.
The story itself flows quite nicely, but there aren’t really any twists or highly suspenseful moments—it’s quite obvious how it’s going to end, even if you haven’t read the bestselling book on which the movie is based.
A Streetcat Named Bob is not perfect, but it’s a lovely movie celebrating the importance of second chances and of friendship. There’s also a little love story in there, but fortunately Spottiswoode decided to focus on Bob and James’ relationship. This saves the movie from becoming too cheesy and keeps it charming and heart-warming, perfect for a cold winter day.