Grotesque, often cruel and unusual, yet sweet, and not at all cynical. It’s touched by the cruelty of well meaning humanism, and by the end the whole movie convulses with a slap-happy optimism and brain fried joi de vivre. Which works as a recipe for wisdom and moral direction as much as any creed primates have developed thus far. Shame about the felines, though. Also, I must now check out every movie Nicholas Hope has ever been in, since the fellow gives all outward appearances of being some kind of genius.