MARLEY & ME (2008) ***1/2 A surprising entry into the all-time dog weepy sweepstakes. It didn't start out like that but none of them do. Especially this one, though. I can't look you straight in the eye and tell you I think that this is technically a brilliant film, but I can say that not too many have moved my heart this way. Starts out as an all-cool all-star pairing of Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston. Oh, I like that right away, I like whoever thought of them as the human couple for a dog movie: I want to invite that person to a barbeque. This is going to be a lot of silly fun. From that it's what you'd expect-he's funny, she's charming in that very casual way. His best moments are talking to the dog, her best moments are dancing with the dog, but they also have some surprisingly powerful moments being hostile with each other (it doesn't immediately invoke Liz & Dick, but you might think of that later). The dog's a nuisance, but I've enjoyed worse. And that's kind of where they get you. As the years roll by, and the children come and grow, as the dog gets bigger and then moves a little slower...it accesses your own hard drive, and the film becomes less about what's going on onscreen, and more about a photo album rolodexing through your own head. That's no small trick, if you're as moved by those photos as I am. The final summation of the virtues of dogs might be overkill, if it was a situation that could ever be adequately addressed by any words. I like it just like it is. I say I like it....it made me a little verkplempt , my wife had to leave before the end. For dog lovers only. Everyone else should go to jail. [Actually, those for whom the love of a dog remains an enigma wrapped in soiled newspaper would probably rather go to jail]
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