Marley & Me

Release Year: 2008
Review: Based on a book of the same name, 'Marley & Me' is a sweet story about a man and his dog. I haven't read the book, so while I had a general idea of where the story was going, I was going into the movie fresh. More than being about the relationship between the man and his dog, the film seemed more like a story about a man's everyday struggles of life and raising a family that just happened to also have a problematic dog. For the most part the film was austere, not funny or charming. The movie features a dog, so of course there were some adorable moments, but it didn't quite offset the often uncomfortable tone set throughout the movie. Also inescapable throughout the film is the impending ending which anyone who has ever owned a dog dreads, and the film doesn't soften the blow at all, almost reveling in the inevitable heart-wrenching ending. The tender moments in the film are rewarding, but overall depressing feeling this film doesn't quite make them worth it.
Rating: 3/5