Marley & Me (2008)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0822832/
Director: David Frankel / Script: Scott Frank & Don Roos & John Grogan
Runtime: 115min
Cast: Owen Wilson, Jennifer Aniston, Eric Dane, Alan Arkin
Genre: Comedy / Drama / Romance / Family
Tagline: Heel the love.

This is not just a film about a cute dog. It is so much more than that. Encompasses themes such as family, marriage, parenthood, work, loss and realistically presents life. The story is basically the life of two journalists, John and Jenny who not long after their marriage, happen to adopt Marley, a Labrador pup. He is incorrigible, testing everyone’s patience; he seems like the world’s worst dog. But also happens to become a very important member of the Grogan family, being there with them through most of their experiences and all of life’s ups and downs. It is based on the best-selling autobiographical book by columnist John Grogan.

The movie proved to be highly entertaining, heartwarming and funny. The amusing part is made up mostly by Marley’s mischief. The art direction and photography is exceptional; beautiful sceneries right from the beginning. The soundtrack also is pleasurable, appropriate tunes for the dynamic, frisky moments just as for the dramatic, touching ones. I also found the editing interesting; liked how there is a three-minute sequence, where so many things get summed up about the life with Marley, all shown in quick little flashes. Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson make a sparkling couple on screen, with likable performances. But still, Marley seems to be the main character of the movie, which was embodied by twenty-two different dogs during the movie. Jenny and John face hardships, but what makes the movie lovely, is that they manage to be happy. “No one tells you how hard this is all going to be” – giving up on things, work, parenting, marriage; in one word: life. Marley is there, in every phase of their lives, and the way the bond is presented would touch the heart of anyone, not just a pet-lover. It is interesting how time passes in the movie; basically the movie covers at least fifteen years of Jenny and John’s life. I only wished the last half an hour was a bit shorter. It became too emotionally overwhelming; I couldn’t hold my tears back. “A dog doesn’t care if you’re rich or poor, clever or dull, smart or dumb. Give him your heart and he’ll give you his. How many people can you say that about?” Anyhow, this movie attempts quite powerfully to make you shed a few tears.

I expected it to be good, but it was even better. The story of the world’s worst dog and his irreplaceable space in one family managed to state its positive message. It’s a movie for anyone looking for a poignant comedy, and anyone who is looking for something else too.