After a long time I saw a movie which really bowled me over. It actually has a lot of similarity with my life, my family and my dog but I have a sneaking suspicion that these uncanny similarities would be universal to every family that adopts a dog.The film follows the journalist couple from Miami-based newlyweds to Pennsylvania, where they combat the problems of parenthood in the midst of raising three children, while trying to keep alive the magic of their love life. Invariably there are arguments, fights, misunderstandings (the dog had to be “thrown out’ for a couple of days) parties, miscarriages and postpartum depression (though Jenifer Aniston shouts that she has no hormonal change problem).
Through this entire journey the boisterous and excitable Marley, the fawn coloured Labrador, is omnipresent - at times as a good and welcome supplement, at times as an irritant and at times as an out and out pest. There is one scene I really enjoyed a lot. The wife suspecting that the husband is a bit depressed on reaching the age of 40 decides to hot things up and after a candlelight conversation jumps into the swimming pool inviting her husband to bring back the youthful days. Our hero too jumps into the pool and just when things were really hotting up in jumps our Marley and paddles his way up to the couple!!!!
The Labrador however is always lovable and adorable- a trait that melts your heart. What I liked most is that the dog makes his way into your heart not because he is a good dog (you know the well mannered and decent types) but despite being the “worst” dog ever. My son was right when he later reiterated, “there are no good or bad dogs- there are only good or bad masters.”
It is the last part of the film that I really found it difficult to sit through. That is sit through without sniffing and actually crying. The delicate messages and themes that come out is really emotional especially those concerning the inevitability of death, “Age sneaks up on us all but it sneaks up on a dog with a swiftness that is both breathtaking and sobering.” The ageing and consequently the immobility and death of the dog is really heart wrenching.
Happy viewing. Though I am told the book is more emotional than the movie.
19 comments:
Many a times people addressed me as a 'Kutta' I used to feel offended....Not any more!
Dharmendra's standard macho dialog "Kutta, Kameena....." Does that make him a dog lover or hater.....I wonder ?
Arun, I've had dogs all the time in BAM and CTC during my school days. At one point of time, we had 3 at the same time.
Nothing can be as heart-rending as the death of a pet dog---I've felt the pain many times.
In present times, living in a flat poses some challenges to owning a dog.This apart, my wife is not eager for one. I know what my kids and I are missing---but we gotta get on with a doggone dogless life!
FAB (my pen friend) I don't believe this!!
Kausty, my favourite gaali to my dog is " Saale tujhe Dharmendra kay ghar bhej doonga tab pata chalega" (because woh uska khoon pee jayega!!)
Venu, wow!!! three dogs at a time that surely sounds great. hope one day i have a house big enough for that. i think alps has two. what about your BBSR trip no foto-shoto?
Apart from Dharmendra, I work for Samsung, a Korean company.....and a minority (really !) of South Koreans really love dog.....I mean not necessarily as pets !!
Kausty, this is what I picked up from the net:
In 1995, organizers of Crufts, the largest dog show in England decided to not accept the sponsorship of Samsung, the Korean based electronics company when the International Fund for Animal Welfare claimed that two million dogs were processed for food in Korea annually.
The problem is one just has to spread the rumour that dog meat is good for a mans virility and bingo it becomes popular. I believe that is what happened in Korea too.
Yes, it is true that Koreans have dog meat, but I gather from talking to people, it is basically from North Korea and the decendants from that side that live in the South are fond of dog meat. It is said to cool you down in summer.....apart from the verility thing. I have met 1000s of Koreans by now, but only one person has said that he likes dog meat.
This sounds like the debate on fur!
If some people like dog meat as food, why the hue and cry? Cos, a "majority" of us love dogs as pets?
Same goes for cows, pigs etc. or should I have said beef, ham ;-)
Goats and lambs have it tough ;-)
Nothing against dogs, actually I wish, humans could evolve to have synthesised meat, and not "kill" other animals for food.
I can envisage, some centuries from now, how 21st. century folks will be viewed, "... they used mobile phones, even had internet, but still KILLED animals for food... Hey, waiter its been 12 secs, where's my Tandoori chicken?"
Sorry Chicken, I can't give up "having" you ;-)
I have transited through Seoul a couple of times and was toying with the idea of a stop over ...but then chickened out due to fear of being served dog meat or eating it by mistake! In fact I was so paranoid that I insisted on having only vegetarian food at the airport & in the Korean Airlines flight too!!
look how far we have drifted from Love, Care, bonding, marriage, compability, adjustment, ageing, death, pain and sorrow...... thats what Marley and Me was all about.
Oh ! the curtly cantankerous Connoisseurs who have a CUR for a cuisine ! Yecch !
What could be a caring , cajoling 'cutta' , carnivorous though,is being relegated to a juicy morsel.... needs to be taken seriously by the ANIMAL PROTECTIONIST GROUPS.
We should get back to our original love & passion and Arun's monologue to his dog "Kutta so ja varna Dharmendra ajayega....."
Arun: Good review but where is the rating?? *, **, ***... or ***** stars? Probably 5/5 right?
Udaya: You must get AB to review movies for your paper. He will do a great job, na? Agar bahana banata hai to film ki ticket bhej diya karo!!
WOW! This is truly a must watch. As for that inevitability of death...reminds me of an old number- 'Marne ke dar se mere dil, jeena na tu chod dena'...and so I console myself and carry on with my moments with Champagne...
About my silence out here...I know I know you must be totally wild at me :-} Par kya karein was off blogging for some time. Just started two days ago. That pic of our meet in Bhub is long overdue. Will try to post it tomorrow. Pucca!
Nargis and Vims,
izzat rakh lee meri. just imagine a blog meant for you both and alps and all of you almost ignored it. The film is a must watch for dog owners. Right now I am reading the novel. Hope champagne is fine.
Arun, you missed my comment... Great review no doubt! I wanted to see the movie and post some more comments but somehow work and a bit of travel goofed up my plan...
vims i did not miss your comment, only it came at the very end. last night i finished reading the novel and was really moved. in fact i think no dog lover should really ignore this movie or the novel. there is so much we go through when we bring home a dog and this book/film bring home this point.
btw when is your next pictorial extravaganza coming up? hurry up before i blog a breaking news prediction.
Gir was great... yet to download images. It was an experience being in the wild...
Go ahead with your prediction... no problemo!! Ha ha...
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