Table of Contents
Photo: ‘Dog’
‘Dog’ may not be what you expect. The trailers for ‘Dog’ hinted at a movie about an Army Ranger healing from trauma, and the movie itself occasionally touches on that. For a good portion of the movie, however, you’re in for a buddy comedy that concerns itself more with poking fun at what doesn’t heal trauma than with the healing process itself.
Channing Tatum brings all his charms to the role of Briggs, a man traumatized and saddled with brain injuries after his service as an Army Ranger. Barred from further service due to his injuries, Briggs is offered a way back in by his old captain (Luke Forbes): escort the recently deceased Sgt. Rodriguez’s dog, Lulu, to Rodriguez’s funeral, and Cpt. Jones will make a call. Lulu, however, is as traumatized as Briggs, and what Briggs expects to be an easy task winds turns out to be more of an adventure than he bargained for.
Related article: OSCAR-NOMINATED – EXCLUSIVE: ‘Dune’ Full Commentary, Reactions, Making Of – Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya, Oscar Isaac
Related article: OSCAR-NOMINATED – ‘House of Gucci’ Full Commentary & Behind the Scenes – Lady Gaga, Adam Driver, Jared Leto, Al Pacino
Related article: OSCAR-NOMINATED – ‘Belfast’ Full Commentary & BTS – Jamie Dornan, Caitriona Balfe, Judi Dench
Related article: OSCAR-NOMINATED – ‘West Side Story’ Full Commentary – Rita Moreno, Steven Spielberg, Rachel Zegler
Related article: OSCAR-NOMINATED – ‘No Time to Die’ Full Commentary, Behind the Scenes & Reactions, Daniel Craig, Rami Malek, Bond
That adventure consists of several detours that take place between long driving shots underscored by the greatest hits of the road trip genre. The hangups are as often the fault of Briggs’ negligence as of Lulu’s anxiousness, and sometimes feel a little contrived for a movie about healing from trauma. You wouldn’t expect, based on the premise, a thriller sequence involving a tranquilizer dart and the line “Squeal for me, boy.” If you’re anything like me, you might check your ticket to see if you accidentally entered a screening of ‘Deliverance.’
This movie is quintessentially Tatum. He co-wrote and directed this movie alongside Reid Carolin. The duo behind ‘Magic Mike’ made sure to keep the fun going, and didn’t forget to recast Tatum’s torso. While we do get to see a broader display of emotion from Tatum in the moments where Briggs is brought low by his injuries, the sensibility of the movie doesn’t become too heavy or feel like Oscar bait.
The many comic vignettes that make up the first half of the movie feel like safe choices until you consider them as a whole. The direction and tone suggest that you should be laughing and having a good time, smirking at Portlandia, and getting a big kick out of Bill Burr. Yet, the movie ends with a montage so saccharin it almost feels like a medicine ad. It’s a big risk on the part of Tatum and Carolin. It presumes their audience will shift as suddenly as they do between cynicism and sensitivity, humor and grief.
Related article: EVOLUTION: Every Henry Cavill Role From 2001 to 2021, All Performances Exceptionally Poignant
Related article: EVOLUTION: Every Chris Evans Role From 1997 to 2020, All Performances Exceptionally Poignant
In an interview with EW, Channing Tatum said he wanted to avoid making this a dog-that-dies movie in the vein of ‘Old Yeller’ or ‘Marley And Me.’ “I think that’s one of those deadly sins…kill the one thing that everyone loves in a movie.”
For all of its tonal confusion, ‘Dog’ succeeds at letting the audience participate in the traumatic elements of the story to the extent they choose. If you are in a place to experience catharsis, ready to set cynicism aside and release, ‘Dog’ features a few key moments for that to happen. If you’d rather have some laughs, or some “awws” from the performances of the three dogs that play Lulu, you’re in good hands.
The movie seems geared towards someone like Briggs, someone who hasn’t worked out their traumas, but who may be ready to start. It plays in the middle ground and meets you where you’re at. Briggs sums it up nicely in one of the projections of his feelings onto Lulu: “Don’t get all misty-eyed on me, friend.” That’s the sort of line that I imagine elicited as many chuckles as it did tears.
Limited Time Offer – FREE Subscription to The Hollywood Insider
Related article: #metoo Revolution: Powerful Questions That Need Answers
Related article: FACT-CHECKED Series: Timothee Chalamet and 32 Facts about The Young Superstar
Carolin and Tatum have worked with war dogs before. They both helped to produce the 2017 HBO documentary ‘War Dog: A Soldier’s Best Friend,’ and did their best to represent what they learned in ‘Dog.’ In a Q&A for United Services Organizations, the team behind the road trip movie opened up about their experiences working with the Belgian Shepherds that played Lulu. “It’s impossible for Hollywood to get these movies correct,” Tatum admitted, but they brought on as consultants the Army Ranger handlers they met during their time onset for ‘War Dog: A Soldier’s Best Friend,’ and the handlers feel the movie was pretty realistic.
For those of us with less expertise, the realism matters less than the show, and if you love dogs you will not be disappointed. Producer Brett Rodriguez said of war dogs in that same Q&A, “Being exposed to them and hearing everything they’ve done and gone through was the most illuminating and interesting thing that we experienced.” The team’s efforts to share that experience with the audience are apparent. We get to know Lulu as the movie progresses. She lashes out in some scenes, runs in fear in others, and in still others acts as a comfort to Briggs.
It doesn’t hurt that the dogs that play Lulu are beautiful, and the cinematography works to highlight it. When the funeral scene finally comes, Lulu rushes to rest her head on her former owner’s boots, and that simple act of grief is the most touching part of the funeral. So dog lovers be wary of your heartstrings, as they may need some tending to after the movie.
Related article: The Hollywood Insider’s CEO Pritan Ambroase: “The Importance of Venice Film Festival as the Protector of Cinema”
Related article: The Masters of Cinema Archives: The Hollywood Insider Pays Tribute to ‘La Vie En Rose’, Exclusive Interview with Director Olivier Dahan
Related article: – Want GUARANTEED SUCCESS? Remove these ten words from your vocabulary| Transform your life INSTANTLY
Related article: MUST WATCH – The Hollywood Insider’s CEO Pritan Ambroase’s Love Letter to Black Lives Matter – VIDEO
Subscribe to The Hollywood Insider’s YouTube Channel, by clicking here.
Tatum has shown some promise in his first directorial outing. He and Carolin treat the story with care and give it a distinct touch. Perhaps the most important scene in ‘Dog’ shows Briggs forming a connection with Noah (Ethan Suplee), another ex-Ranger and the owner of Lulu’s twin. Without spoiling too much, we get to see the Rangers and their dogs see where Briggs might end up if he doesn’t get help. At the end of the scene, Noah says that sometimes the hardest thing to do is just knock on a friend’s door.
If I had to guess, I’d say Tatum and Carolin wanted this movie to inspire some door-knocking. Bring a friend to this one, and when you make your rounds knocking on doors maybe you can start the conversation off with ‘The Lost City.’ Channing Tatum will star in it alongside Sandra Bullock and Brad Pitt.
Cast: Channing Tatum, Ethan Suplee, Jane Adams, Kevin Nash, Luke Forbes, Junes Zahdi
Cinematography: Newton Thomas Sigel | Editor: Leslie Jones | Writer: Reid Carolin
Directors: Channing Tatum, Reid Carolin | Producers: Betsy Danbury, Peter Kiernan, Gregory Jacobs
By Kevin Hauger
Click here to read The Hollywood Insider’s CEO Pritan Ambroase’s love letter to Cinema, TV and Media. An excerpt from the love letter: The Hollywood Insider’s CEO/editor-in-chief Pritan Ambroase affirms, “We have the space and time for all your stories, no matter who/what/where you are. Media/Cinema/TV have a responsibility to better the world and The Hollywood Insider will continue to do so. Talent, diversity and authenticity matter in Cinema/TV, media and storytelling. In fact, I reckon that we should announce “talent-diversity-authenticity-storytelling-Cinema-Oscars-Academy-Awards” as synonyms of each other. We show respect to talent and stories regardless of their skin color, race, gender, sexuality, religion, nationality, etc., thus allowing authenticity into this system just by something as simple as accepting and showing respect to the human species’ factual diversity. We become greater just by respecting and appreciating talent in all its shapes, sizes, and forms. Award winners, which includes nominees, must be chosen on the greatness of their talent ALONE.
I am sure I am speaking for a multitude of Cinema lovers all over the world when I speak of the following sentiments that this medium of art has blessed me with. Cinema taught me about our world, at times in English and at times through the beautiful one-inch bar of subtitles. I learned from the stories in the global movies that we are all alike across all borders. Remember that one of the best symbols of many great civilizations and their prosperity has been the art they have left behind. This art can be in the form of paintings, sculptures, architecture, writings, inventions, etc. For our modern society, Cinema happens to be one of them. Cinema is more than just a form of entertainment, it is an integral part of society. I love the world uniting, be it for Cinema, TV. media, art, fashion, sport, etc. Please keep this going full speed.”
More Interesting Stories From The Hollywood Insider
– Want GUARANTEED SUCCESS? Remove these ten words from your vocabulary| Transform your life INSTANTLY
– A Tribute to Martin Scorsese: A Complete Analysis of the Life and Career of the Man Who Lives and Breathes Cinema
– Do you know the hidden messages in ‘Call Me By Your Name’? Find out behind the scenes facts in the full commentary and In-depth analysis of the cinematic masterpiece
– A Tribute To The Academy Awards: All Best Actor/Actress Speeches From The Beginning Of Oscars 1929-2019 | From Rami Malek, Leonardo DiCaprio To Denzel Washington, Halle Berry & Beyond | From Olivia Colman, Meryl Streep To Bette Davis & Beyond
– In the 32nd Year Of His Career, Keanu Reeves’ Face Continues To Reign After Launching Movies Earning Over $4.3 Billion In Total – “John Wick”, “Toy Story 4”, “Matrix”, And Many More
dog, dog, dog, dog, dog, dog, dog, dog, dog, dog, dog, dog, dog, dog, dog, dog, dog, dog, dog, dog, dog, dog, dog, dog
Halle Bailey talks about the secrets that are a part of The Color Purple
Fantasia Barrino talks about the secrets that are a part of The Color Purple
Blitz Bazawule talks about the secrets that are a part of The Color Purple
Dean Cole talks about the secrets that are a part of The Color Purple
Danielle Brooks talks about the secrets that are a part of The Color Purple
Corey Hawkins talks about the secrets that are a part of The Color Purple.
This website uses cookies.