Streetcat’s surprisingly good festive sequel
A Christmas Gift From Bob (PG, 93 mins)
Directed by Charles Martin Smith Reviewed by Graeme Tuckett ★★★1⁄2
Ilearnt a long time ago in this job, that a half-decent film can come out of pretty much any genre. Take for instance, the whole petsaves-person category, which is usually no more than a dumping ground for saccharine assemblages of unsinkable golden retrievers (or preternaturally observant dolphins) saving the local sawmill, while also getting Dennis Quaid to give up sniffing glue – or at least cut back on the Baileys – for the sake of the nippers.
And then, right when I was thinking of chucking the whole lot on the scrapheap and tactfully asking the editor whether I might be allowed a mental health day the next time anything featuring a virtuous four-legged saviour came floating down the turnpike, up pops 2016’s A Streetcat Named Bob.
It absolutely delighted me by being a surprisingly gritty – in a PG kind of way – look at life as a homeless addict on London’s winter streets, before a large and genuinely adorable ginger tomcat turned up to give his adopted owner James a life to care for other than his own.
No-one believed me of course, and I’m sure I burnt up a large chunk of what I laughingly refer to as ‘‘my credibility’’ trying to convince anyone who would listen that here, at last, was a pet-savesbloke story that was worth a couple of your precious hours.
But, no, even I wasn’t expecting A Streetcat Named Bob to spawn a sequel. And yet, A Christmas Gift From Bob (I can’t believe I’m typing this either) isn’t too awful a film.
Yes, the plot is essentially a retread of the first, with young James at least mostly free of the smack, but now facing a vengeful council officer trying to separate him from his feline best mate.
As before, the action see-saws from busking showdowns in Covent Garden to existential meltdowns in James’ council flat, with a likeable group of support players, especially Kristina Tonteri-Young as James’ friend Bea.
And, no, nothing happens that you won’t see coming a mile off. But, A Christmas Gift From Bob is well enough written, honestly performed and does occasionally inspire a lump in the throat that can’t always be explained away as just gag reflex.
And, face it. There’s bugger all else in the cinemas between now and January that the kids might like. So you may as well give Bob a spin.
Also, the real Bob got run over and killed earlier this year. Maybe don’t tell them that until after the movie?