Most pet people, whether they care to admit it or not, in their mind give their pets human voices. Our precocious little cavoodle (@ninas_wild_world) speaks in the voice of Samantha from Sex and the City for two main reasons, one she is a little scallywag and two, she absolutely knows how to get her way. When you get to know Beckett, the fat cat animated lead in 10 Lives, you realise British comedian Mo Gilligan’s voice is perfect for the role.
His acting voice gives Beckett an excellent blend of nonchalance and misplaced bravado. He has gotten used to getting his way and it shows. He was adopted by Rose (Simone Ashley) a young lady whose main interest lies in the preservation of bee colonies. Life has been good and Beckett has grown from a tiny kitten into a rotund adult cat. Even with age on his side he remains spoiled rotten.
When Rose’s ex-boyfriend Larry (Dylan Llewellyn) comes to help with her studies, the family dynamic is thrown out of kilter and Beckett does his most underhanded work to get rid of him. During one such event, he is killed and goes to animal heaven, where he finds out he has used up all of his nine lives and is now headed to hell. The guardian of the Pearly Gates Grace (Sophie Okonedo) shows mercy on him and gives him a chance to redeem his selfish ways.
This involves Beckett going back down below as different animals and he quickly goes through his additional lives before finally learning his lesson. Getting the ingredients just right for an animated film aimed at both the young and old has never been easy. Get it too sweet and if will give its adult audience members the sugar crash, too salty and parents who monitor their young one’s intake will stay away in droves. 10 Lives nails the tightrope act with aplomb and provides a ribald journey for the adults and a sweet experience for the little ones.
Rob Hudson
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