Review of Treacle Jr.

Jamie Thraves' haunting film about personality breakdown tells the story of Tom (Tom Fisher) and his descent into a profound confusion which challenges his comfortable everday life as a suburban husband and father. He is led in a somnambulant state to central London where, he is proptly robbed while sleeping rough.

He is briended, confused and (for the time being) penniless, by eternal optimist Aidan (Aidan Gillen).

Though just as challenged emotionally, Aidan shows Tom - by example - how to ride out the storm that is raging inside him. Aidan is shacked up with fellow-sufferer Linda (Riann Steele) an emotionally-damaged prostitute whose unimaginable history comes out in her violent outbursts.

But the real stars are stunt-cat Treacle and her younger replacement, eponymous stunt-kitten Treacle Junior.

This deeply moving portrait of a man's descent into and recovery from a bewildering identity crisis depicts the restorative effect and support given almost instinctually by Aidan, Treacle, and Treacle Junior - whose hapless lives are the catalyst to his recovery.

A great film with a much happier ending than hope alone would predict. Thank you, Eternal Otimists everywhere.