by Linda Kay

Starring: Zinger, Tinkerbell

Directed by: Steve McQueen

Cat Out of the Bag Alert! This review contains major spoilers for this film!

Synopsis: As London is repeatedly bombed by the Germans during World War II, single mother Rite (Saoirse Ronan) makes the difficult decision to evacuate her young son George (Elliott Heffernan) to the country. Complications arise when George jumps from the train en route and returns to the city to rejoin his family.

Cat Burglar (Scene Stealer): Rita’s father, Gerald (Paul Weller), owns a tabby cat named Olly who sits beside him as the man plays his upright piano.

When the trio rush to one of the local tube stations to seek shelter during one of the air raids, Olly accompanies them in his carrier.

Once safely inside the station, George opens the carrier to comfort Olly. It is at this moment Rita realizes sending George to the country is the right decision.

The morning of George’s departure, Gerald carries Olly outside their home to talk to a passing neighbor.

George exits the house and pauses to say goodbye to the cat before Gerald sets Olly back inside.

Olly is seen very briefly in a side room much later in the film as Rita rushes out to look for the missing George.

Near the end of the film, Rita returns home and checks on her father, finding him sound asleep in his bed with Olly beside him.

When George finally makes it back home it is to discover their block has been decimated by one of the bombings. He watches as an air raid warden (Tim Faraday) carries Olly from the crumbled building.

Olly was played by cat actors Zinger and Tinkerbell with Steve Dent as the Animal Wrangler.

Final Mewsings: Cats and humans should never have to live through war.

Many thanks to Sandy B for letting us know about the cat in this film.

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