"I'm not crying, you're crying".... Not really a spoiler for my reaction for a film entitled 'Dog'!
To be honest, whilst I wanted to see Dog at the cinema (I want to see EVERYTHING at the cinema) and I'd heard good things I didn't necessarily think I'd be doing a write-up of it. I don't know why but for some reason I thought I'd like it but not necessarily inspired to put my thoughts down. Yes, I was wrong. Moreover, I was surprised. I love it when my expectations for a film are just blown away and I'm wildly inaccurate in my assumptions! This is very true of Dog.
So Channing Tatum plays Jackson Briggs, a former army ranger. He wants to re-join the rangers and in order to get the referral he needs to transport a ex-service Dog across the country to attend his ex-handlers funeral. Sounds simple enough? The Dog - 'Lulu' has been trained and can be unpredictable and sometimes dangerous. Jackson himself is lost and needs to get back to the rangers, which he believes is his purpose and will help him overcome his current challenges. Lulu is misunderstood and on her final journey, as she has now, sadly, served her purpose. Both no longer have a place in the world. Can you feel the tears brewing already?
As some reviews have said, you can probably guess the plot of the film, but that doesn't mean it's all as expected. Channing Tatum is in effect talking to himself for most of the film whilst conversing with Lulu, but you don't notice that, not at all. I was so involved and engrossed in the characters and the story for the entirety of the film. This is by far my favourite role of his and his depth as an actor is really quite something. I hope he takes on more roles of this nature as he is very good at it.
I have carried out some post-film viewing research and watched a few interviews on YouTube and I believe why this film feels so natural and real is that Channing carried out 9 months of training with the dogs in the film. It wasn't just the handler giving them the signals of what to do. It made the relationship much more natural and believable. It was clear from the interviews what a huge dog lover he is too.
I love it when a film is so much better than you imagined. This a real treat. If you have dogs or even if you don't, take tissues!
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