Un chat pour la vie

Enjoyed the film and thought it was faithful to the book which made me view street people differently. It never was going to be a big budget blockbuster type movie and the way it was filmed suited the story. Having seen quite a few buskers around Covent Garden the scenes shot there looked authentic. All the relevant topics were covered and the shooting was well done. I don't think it could have been done much differently without making the film overlong. Being a cat owner may make be biased but the film does justice to the story and internet interest shown in the two main characters. We left the cinema having felt that the admission money was well spent - not always the case with some over hyped productions.

As an avid cat lover I was always going to enjoy this movie. And as a person who myself suffered an addiction, and am in recovery, I totally related to the Lead Character in every way. Whilst dealing with the subject of addiction is a very difficult issue to cover, I thought this movie covered it well. Highlighting the lead character's isolation,, detachment from the outside World and people in general........and the redemption he found by meeting Bob, a wandering cat, who just happened to enter his life.

The touching story line that involved the developing relationship between him and Bob was beautifully told. The cat made him smile again, gave him a reason to live. His social skills with people were not good but with the cat, he became stronger and happier as each day passed.

This was a wonderfully uplifting film I related to on so many levels. Excellent acting, and Bob the cat. was the best of them !

I bet this gets terrible reviews from the critics, because it has no ambitions except to tell (and embroider) a tale of real life (itself embroidered a little, OK...) . Anyway I just got home from seeing it, and it is no great work of art ... but it is a very enjoyable movie based more or less on a true story. If I had a criticism it would say cut the mouse (totally irrelevant to the film, but then I'm not a cat). If I wanted to heap praises I would say that Luke Treadaway does the main human role fantastically, Bob is pretty impeccable except for the dubbing, and Rute Gedmintas is incredibly lovely as the (fictitious?) love interest. If only Luke & Ruta could have ridden off into the Islington sunset together .... they seemed made for each other.

I'm actually really surprised, recognising Roger Spottiswoode's name but totally forgetting he was the director behind The 6th Day, James Bond's Tomorrow Never Dies and another animal buddy movie, Turner & Hooch. I haven't seen any of his work since The 6th Day and I'm not sure why, but I'm surprised to find him behind the camera for this one. Maybe because it's a British film of a British story, me possibly expecting a Brit to be director? Regardless, he's a great choice as director, especially with his experience of working with animals on film.

This one being a stray ginger tomcat that gets named Bob after finding recovering drug-addict, James Bowen, played brilliant by Luke Treadaway. Now, this busker and Bob is somewhat of a London legend, how the two become inseparable and skirt about town busking and selling magazines on the streets of touristy London, hitting national and local papers and well, the outcome is fairly obvious, book deal and a film to boot.

Though there were quite a few cats used to play the part of Bob, it is nice to know that the real Bob actually did quite a bit of filming. Him being the real life littlest hobo that gladly doesn't choose to move on. And the real life James Bowen getting his rightly deserved cameo with a clever line of dialogue.

Working with animals is something you get warned about when on set but Spottiswoode certainly has a majesty way of capturing the character of our furry friends whether it be a Dogue De Bordeaux or a polar bear cub. It can't be an easy task and most have taken dozens of takes to get the right frame and the editing is superbly done with animal POV perspectives and clever camera work.

Treadaway gives a brilliant, believable and powerful performance conveying the hopelessness, torment and desperation effortlessly. Ruta Gedmintas also adding some colour to the film supported by some good British casting. It's amazing to watch the bond form between Bob and James as they both tend to each other.

Another two elements that stand out about this film is the music, the busking songs performed by Treadaway himself, which help tell the story though slightly disappointed it's music written for the film and not songs original to the busking, though, the songs are catchy and full of heart, much like the movie. The other element being London itself, the sights and the not so nice parts of the city actually give a real feel, either though bleak.

What's so magical about this story is that it has come to this, and that it's a true story of hope, companionship and cosmic justice. It's heartfelt, touching and feel good; Perfectly paced, enchanting and enjoyable. Not just a movie for cat fans.

Running Time: 9 The Cast: 8 Performance: 9 Direction: 9 Story: 9 Script: 8 Creativity: 9 Soundtrack: 8 Job Description: 10 The Extra Bonus Points: 10 for Bob, and his and James' incredible story. Would I buy the Bluray?: Yes.

89% 9/10

This film connects you with the realities of street life and addiction, but without the excessive angst, despair and high melodrama which is typical of the genre. Because of this the storytelling feels very realistic, very honest. Obviously what distinguishes this story is Bob himself - I'm not a cat fanatic but it is obvious that Bob is a very unique personality. Yet in keeping with the low key feel of the film, they do not overly anthropomorphize Bob himself - he is a cat who has adopted a human, plain and simple.

This film deserves a wider distribution - it is unrated but I would suggest pg13. There is much more to this film that Bob the cat, but you should see the film and reach you own conclusions. If nothing else it may help you think differently, more sympathetically, about street people and street cats.