The Andrex Puppy Has Finally Been Given A Movie Deal! (Marley & Me (DVD))

Member Name: Great_reviewer07

Product:	Marley & Me (DVD)
Date:	17/07/09 (102 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Very sweet & moving story

Disadvantages: Could be considered a bit tedious

John (Owen Wilson) and Jenny (Jennifer Aniston) Grogan are loved up newly weds who relocate to a cottage in Florida where they both get jobs as writers. John is a laid back guy who adores his wife, he'll do anything to keep her happy however a baby isn't one of the things that he's ready for, in a desperate attempt to divert Jenny's mind from a baby he buys her a Labrador puppy who they name Marley. Marley was the cheapest puppy available at the farm and that's one of the reasons they bought him however Marley was cheap for a reason as he's, as John calls him 'the worst dog in the world'.

Jenny lives her life off a list that she has, she's got married, got a great job and a great house which were just a couple of things on her 'to do' list, next thing is a baby. John comes round to the idea and Jenny quickly becomes pregnant however things don't exactly go to plan. When Jenny eventually gives birth it changes everything in their relationship and with unruly Marley around to chew the furniture, bark at every noise and generally cause havoc, life for the Grogans' isn't going to be easy...

Marley & Me isn't something that I got around to seeing at the cinema so when it was released on DVD I bought it based on all the good reviews I'd heard about it prior, I'd also heard it was a tearjerker however not being much of a dog person myself I thought that this aspect of the film would probably go over my head.

Unfortunately not, Marley & Me is an extremely emotional film, it's classed as a family movie and although children may not watch this so intently as adults would I think that it could be quite upsetting for children especially if they have a dog in the family. This film really shows to the people who think that dogs aren't really part of the family that they actually are, it shows that however unruly a dog, infact any animal can be the owners will still love it and it really is as important as any other member of the family. I watched this with my boyfriend who like any man likes to make a point that he never cries during films and although he didn't exactly cry through this I looked up at him every so often and he looked to be really moved by the film after having previous misconceptions about what this film was all about.

Luckily Marley & Me doesn't centre around breaking the hearts of unassuming children and adults alike, it's primarily a drama however I've heard it placed in the category of a comedy drama, I'm not sure if I would personally class it as a comedy drama because I think for this to apply there needs to be an equal mix of both genres, with Marley & Me the drama far overshadows the comedy in the film which I was a bit disappointed at because I thought this was a movie that could make me laugh as well as cry, it definitely made me cry and although there are a few cutesy moments involving the dogs antics or the children's interaction with the dog there was nothing that could make this film stand out as a notable comedy film.

So if someone asks you the question of who would be your perfect choice for a male and female lead in a drama film, it's very likely that you'll answer will be someone like Johnny Depp or Leonardo DiCaprio for the male and for the female maybe Kate Winslet or Cate Blanchett. The guy who liked to crash weddings a couple of years ago and the spoilt girl from Friends aren't two of the first actors that would come to my mind, however the two work very well together and they manage to get out of their comedy heads and adapt easily to a drama film which is something that neither of them are particularly experienced or used to. I'm a huge Jennifer Aniston fan therefore I was disappointed when I realised that she was going to be taking more of a backseat role in this film and let Owen Wilson take the reigns, it would have been nice to see them both onscreen as much as each other because they're both great actors in their own right. The two A-Listers who are both famous for their relationship troubles and only a year or two ago Owen Wilson made headline news for a failed suicide attempt so it's great to see him back on track and on top form in this film. He's always a likeable character in his films as is Jennifer Aniston and you always know what you're going to get with these two, obviously there are still elements of their comedy backgrounds in their performance but they really surprised me with what a great job they did in this film and I hope to see them in similar films in the future. Forget Meryl Streep and Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Aniston is the new girl in town and I bet Angelina Jolie is seething, especially after hearing of Jennifer Aniston's future plans to branch out into action films, a genre previously ruled by her love rival and alpha female of the genre!

When mentioning the acting from the two lead stars I really should have referred to them as the supporting cast because the main star is of course Marley, who was portrayed by about 22 different dogs throughout the course of the film, the film is based around the dog so I was expecting it to revolve around Marley a lot but I like the fact that John and Jenny's life progress with the dog in it instead of the dog ruling their lives. From being a puppy to an old and tired dog you really bond with the dog in your own way and it becomes very emotional near the end when you can tell how much the dog means to John, Jenny and their kids.

The film in total lasts around 115 which is something that you'd expect for a drama film, I however feel that the film is a little stretched out. It seems to drag on a bit whilst still remaining entertaining, it wasn't painful or a chore to watch but every so often you'd think to yourself that you hope something happens soon so the pace will pick up. There are a few things that happen in the film but nothing major that really manages to rock the boat and put the family unit in jeopardy.

I never read the book so I can't compare this to the book, I hear that the book is superior and to be honest I wasn't expecting anything different, films adapted from books always seem inferior to the hardback original however I'm the kind of girl that would much rather sit down with family or friends and collectively enjoy a film which is something that a book isn't able to do.

I'd highly recommend the film to dog lovers, families or simply anyone who it appeals to. Be warned it's a very emotional film and will have you nearing tears for a large majority of it but it's very enjoyable and you really feel like you're along for the ride with John, Jenny and 'the worst dog in the world' Marley.

The DVD wasn't released that long ago therefore it's still at a high price of £11.99 from play.com however it's something that's without doubt worth the money as this is a film that will bring the whole family together.

Summary: A first class family film.