Seen on: December 27, 2008

The players: Director: David Frankel, Writer: Donald Roos, Scott Frank, Cast: Owen Wilson, Jennifer Aniston, Alan Arkin, Eric Dane, Haley Bennett

Facts of interest: Frankel also directed "The Devil Wears Prada."

The plot: Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston star as a couple struggling to control their energetic dog.

Our thoughts: I’ve never been and I certainly never will be a dog person, and that’s the sole reason why David Frankel’s family comedy “Marley & Me” had no emotional impact on me at all. That said, I definitely understand why a film like this one would touch the hearts of those who are passionate dog lovers, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

Based on the book by John Grogan, the film introduces us to John (Owen Wilson) and Jennifer (Jennifer Aniston), two enthusiastic newlyweds whose lives take a drastic turn when they adopt a Labrador puppy they name Marley. Unlike most dogs, however, Marley is a real pain in the butt, refusing to obey and spending most of its time tearing everything apart.

John and Jennifer obviously have an enormous patience when it comes to Marley, because I personally would never ever tolerate an animal destroying all my furniture on a daily basis. Then again, I am not a dog lover, and I really can’t identify with any of these characters. After all, this is just a movie, and despite my apathy towards dogs, I admit watching Marley eat the couch and give John and Jen a hard time is eventually quite entertaining.

On the other hand, Don Roos and Scott Frank’s script is often incredibly thin. Besides Marley’s mayhem and John and Jennifer’s countless attempts to get the situation under control, the plot doesn’t have anything particularly intriguing to offer. We closely follow Wilson and Aniston as they slowly start a family and encounter one or the other emotional crisis, but most of these issues are treated only on a superficial level.

Luckily enough, “Marley & Me” boasts a heartwarming message, offering dog friends young and old exactly what they want to hear. Here it is, in John’s own words: “A dog doesn’t care if you’re rich or poor; give him your heart, and he’ll give you his.” That’s pretty much all there is to it, and even the younger audiences will find it easy enough to understand.

One thing that really annoyed me though is the movie’s utterly schmaltzy, overlong ending, which completely changes direction by abandoning the film’s comic touch and dropping into a state of misery. I guess it still fulfills its purpose because all I heard around me during these moments was heavy sobbing, but I honesty couldn’t wait for the credits to roll. Call me a dog-hating bastard, but those last 15 to 20 minutes are unnecessary.

In his previous film “The Devil Wears Prada,” Frankel really got the best out of his cast, and this time is no different. I’ve never been a big fan of Owen Wilson or Jennifer Aniston, but in “Marley & Me,” they both surprised me. I wouldn’t call their performances mind-blowing, but they just come across more natural this time than usual.

Freaky quote: “Who's dog is that?" – Owen Wilson

The final word: As I already mentioned, every family having a passion for dogs will enjoy this movie to the fullest extent. Despite its lack of depth, the few flaws I touched on, and an unnecessary two-hour running time, “Marley & Me” may even be entertaining enough for those how couldn’t care less about puppies.

Article by Franck Tabouring