Once in a while you come across a movie which elicits the following response-“What the …hell! What was that?” spoken maybe with utter disgust or with wonder and amazement. Well Bark our DVD pick today qualifies as one such movie. Oh no Please don’t assume the first option and leave and even if you leave, at least hear this out. - Imagine this scenario- The ultimate male fantasy- His wife and girlfriend living under the same roof happily with no conflicts at all!!! Well, Bark lets you have a glimpse of this. Now you will be doggoned. Isn’t it? Let’s do one thing, why don’t we settle comfortably and get on with it rather than standing in the threshold wondering whether This Dog deserves a good bone or not? All right! Here we go!
Pedigree- This Kasia Adamik directed movie, won a special mention in the Warsaw International Movie festival and nominated for the Grand Jury Prize for best direction in the Sundance Film Festival- this despite, the movie being a low budget one starring Lee Tergeson, Lisa Kudrow and Heather Morgan who is incidentally the writer too. (Yes! No Big Shots here.) Just shows that Every Dog has its day. The movie has been promoted as a comedy but yes, a big BUT the movie is not a comedy. It just has a comical theme and expecting a comedy will be like Barking up the wrong tree.
Dogmas- As I said the movie has a comical theme or story and the plot is about a very much in love with couple Peter and Lucy, where one fine day the wife starts barking like a dog never to stop!!! And behaving like one too for no apparent reason. But this is not about animal instincts, nor the retrospection of why she suddenly turned into one. That is quite possible in this Dog eat Dog world. But rather it questions the ethics of the treatment of the borderline psychiatric cases. In one line it can be simply summarized as the movie trying to project that Barking Dogs seldom bite. Lucy or the wife though behaving like a dog is otherwise harmless. Everything about her behavior turns dog like, but is that reason enough to commit her to a mental asylum? Is it necessary to do so if she is not grievously injuring anybody and if her husband has no issues in accepting her the way she has become? Is it necessary to drug her heavily just to make her seem human, when all you are doing is turning her to a zombie , without getting to the core of her problem? There are other misfits who come together at Peter’s hour of so called need and bond in a strange way. The weird vet played by Lisa Kudrow who becomes involved with Peter., the kleptomaniac best friend, the reluctant shrink coming together and bonding well to show that misfits can fit in too. So rather than this being a comedy movie it is an exploration of the ethical issues of Psychiatry.
Leashed unleashed- The pace is slow. Tagline not powerful enough – it’s “Who is walking whom”. And it has been promoted as a comedy confusing the audience in the process. Not at all a commercially viable movie. Script is just acceptable. But again as they say –A reasonable amount of fleas is good for a dog, it keeps him from brooding over being a dog.
Dog-eared- Theme is unique and well projected. The actors seem credible. Heather Morgan Looks convincing as the dog wife and if you keep your expectations to a minimum you might find it quite a pet.
Dogged pursuit of this movie- is not recommended. As I am not sure of your psyche I will therefore not advise you to purchase the DVD or rent it, but borrow it, if you come across the DVD for its unique projection. You will enjoy it if you are a Psychology buff. Otherwise take a dose of Antirabies vaccine after reading this.
But again -”An honest man is not the worse because a dog barks at him.
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This is one movie I’ll definitely give a miss
Ok..next!