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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Entertainment
Mike McCahill

A Street Cat Named Bob review – so much kitty litter

More closeups than Garbo … Luke Treadaway as James in A Street Cat Named Bob.
More closeups than Garbo … Luke Treadaway as James – and cat – in A Street Cat Named Bob. Photograph: Andreas Lambis/Sony

More meme than movie, this cut-price rendering of James Bowen’s bestselling memoirs sees homeless busker Luke Treadaway’s plight positioned a distant second behind the ginger tom who reportedly hastened Bowen’s return from the margins. Truly spoilt, Bob is afforded more closeups than Garbo at her peak, a jolly Routemaster excursion, even deeply silly cat’s-eye POV shots that distract from the generally featherheaded depiction of life below the poverty line. Longshots, however, reveal our feline hero would rather lick his nethers or ponder running into traffic than endure any more of Treadaway’s acoustic guitar stylings. Perhaps Ken Loach should have popped an otter in Daniel Blake’s pocket for luck.

Watch the trailer for A Street Cat Named Bob – video
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