I already knew something of the story - I've been getting the Big Issue in Hay (from the chap who stands by Spar) and Hereford (from the lady who stands by WH Smiths), for a few years now, and the story was featured there, as it's a great success story for the Big Issue. James was a recovering drug addict and busker, whose life changed when Bob the ginger cat moved in with him. He also had a spell selling the Big Issue. The book about Bob, and how he changed James' life, was an instant best seller, and has given James financial security.
The film opens here, at Covent Garden, and shows streets I've walked around - a lot of the filming was done on location, including on London buses. I loved the way the camera came down to a cat's eye view of scenes, and Bob, of course, was played by himself. There were other ginger cats as stand ins, but a lot of it was Bob. It was also nice to see Anthony Head in the supporting role of James' estranged father, which I wasn't expecting, in a cast where some of the supporting characters looked vaguely familiar, but not enough to put a name to the face. It was also good to see a film showing how quite small problems can take on epic proportions when you're living in poverty stricken circumstances.
So I highly recommend the film, and I also recommend the Lamb pub, nearby, where we had dinner before the film. I had the beef chili, and the plate was piled high, and Susan had the fish and chips, with really chunky chips. It was a pity it was so quiet - we were the only ones in there.
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