A Road Cat Named Bob

Worth the Rental
I never Rent from Amazon, I’m a prime user. But, I saw a YouTube Short about this film, that pulled me in and I’m not sorry it did. Great little movie. Better than I had expected.

SIXTEEN CANDLES OR A STREET CAT NAMED BOB? A review for parents with a few spoilers…
I love cats (all animals) and I have a young daughter who always wants to watch movies with me. I decided to watch this movie with her the other night because I wanted her to see something of consequence. Something with a valuable message. Something truly inspirational WITHOUT dopey sex starved teenagers, unnecessary explosions, gratuitous violence or space creatures wielding ridiculous looking weapons.This movie was a brilliant choice. THERE ARE SOME SPOILERS BELOW.A Street Cat Named Bob is a gorgeous and extraordinarily uplifting film that stresses how powerful and life-changing a relationship with an animal can be. The film does paint a realistic portrait of life on the streets and drug abuse, however there are no overly graphic scenes. There is a scene where one drug addict is found unconscious from an overdose and another scene where the main character is struggling to get through detox. The detox is not pleasant but the director handled it well and didn’t film anything unnecessary. You can clearly see recovering from drug addiction is painful and arduous and that drugs are not ‘cool’ or desirable. The main character is a compassionate and altruistic man who reiterates many times how much he wants to “Stop using drugs and get his life back.” This is not a movie lauding drunken and high teenagers. There is no nudity and there are no sex scenes. My daughter witnessed a man struggling to get off the streets and stay clean and she witnessed him do it with the help of a cat who loved, needed and adored him. The movie was absolutely beautiful and I am thrilled we watched it together. Also, the cat does not die. This is something I was quite concerned about since we are such fierce animal lovers and get very distressed if there are tragic scenes that involve animal violence or death. My daughter is especially sensitive and would never have been able to enjoy this movie if Bob was badly hurt or came to a tragic end. Thankfully James and Bob walk away unscathed We cried — but they were tears of happiness and relief for this lovely man and his remarkable little companion.I would highly recommend this movie to all adults and children 12 and up.

THANKFULLY NOT SAPPY, BUT NOT TRUE TO THE BOOKS
Before I begin, just so you know, I read and really enjoyed the first two Bob books before seeing the movie.My first observation about the movie is that, thankfully, it never slips into cuteness or sappiness, like too many movies featuring an animal tend to do. This is NOT a children’s movie, and in some ways, you might not want very young children seeing it, since the early scenes of James when he’s a homeless drug addict are very gritty and depressing.Secondly, if you have read the books and are a purist, this might not be for you, since the narrative differs from the books on some keys points. For instance, the “James and Bob meet” scene is not from the book, and though Betty approximates Belle, they’re not really the same person. In some places, events are combined and compressed, in the interest of time. Though in most ways, the movie remains true to the SPIRIT of the book, literary liberties are definitely taken.The most enjoyable aspect of this film is seeing the ACTUAL Bob cat portraying himself. What a character! What a hoot! He clearly is a special cat.It was also nice to see the actual locations where James busked and sold The Big Issue. Makes me want to go back and read the books again, as I feel I’ll be able to visualize it all much better after having seen the movie.

Excellent Feel Good Movie!
I discovered “A Street Cat Named Bob” movie by accident. My mother and I watched it for the first time in 2019 – two years after this movie came out. We are SO glad we watched it! It is a feel-good movie about a cat with no home that helps a guy “survive”. Bob gets a home and much needed love from James Bowen. If you are a cat lover, or pet lover in general, you must see this movie. (The second movie is titled “A Gift From Bob”. Very worthwhile and a follow up to this movie.)

Hay libros y películas que pueden suponer un cambio en tu interior… Y eso sucede con esta peli. Te hace pensar mucho y facilita la transición hacia ser mejor persona y con más ilusión.

L’histoire vraie (tirée du roman “Un Chat des Rues nommé Bob” titre français) d’un jeune homme perdu dont la vie va changer grâce à la rencontre d’un chat qui lui donnera ce que l’humanité ne lui à jamais donner.C’est émouvant, puissant dans certaines moments et assurément une belle leçon de vie.Clairement un film à petit budget mais cela ne se ressent pas.Un incontournable.