305. Dog Days; movie review

DOG DAYS
Cert 12A
113 mins
BBFC advice: Contains moderate sex references, drug references

It's the school summer holidays and it's the season for dog movies!
Yep, even the big names can't wait to play with a pooch to please their respective bank managers.
And I, rather grumpily, have to confess that children and animal lovers-alike with both have a giggle and shed a tear at Ken Marino's Dog Days.
In fact, I would not count myself as either but did find myself surprised because it stirred my emotions.
Dog Days has four parallel stories surrounding man's best friend.
Firstly, there is a TV news anchor (Nina Dobrev) whose dog is depressed after she finds her boyfriend cheating on her.
Then there is a cafe waitress (Vanessa Hudgens) who is ga-ga for the chihuahua, pictured above (who wouldn't be?).
Meanwhile, a layabout musician (Adam Pally) is asked to look after his sister's hound while she gives birth to twins, Eva Longoria and Rob Corddry play adoptive parents whose little girl comes out of their shell after they find a lost pug.
And best of all, a widower (Ron Cephas Jones) is beside himself with sadness after over the aforementioned pug.
Dare I say, that the latter's contribution prompted me to well up... twice!
That may be surprising because Dog Days is VERY schmaltzy. It is a homage to how pooches enhance the lives of their human owners and it is devoted to heart-melting eyes of cute canines.
The stories are all fairly basic, scarcely challenging the comic talents of the cast and have very straightforward resolutions but, somehow, it works.
By that I mean that families will leave the cinema smiling and that can't be bad, can it?

Reasons to watch: If you are a dog owner
Reasons to avoid: Is the cheesiest film of the summer

Laughs: Two
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 6.5/10 (from a non-dog owner)

Director quote - Ken Marino: "I enjoy working on stuff when I can bring my kids into the editing room and they watch and give their thoughts and advice."

The big question - What is having a dog really like? (I have never had one and it seems like fun).

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