A Dog Year (2009)

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

Nothing happens in this film. Literally. Man adopts a dog. He's estranged from his wife (we don't find out why). He's angry (we don't find out why). He rents a house in the country (we don't find out why). He finds a dog trainer who charges $200 a session to a) teach the dog NOT to herd sheep and then b) sit. He drives back home with the dog's head hanging out the window. The End.

First off all, I loved this movie. It is just so hard to come by a decent movie in the past few years because almost all of them are filled with sex, violence, killing, drugs, etc. all that corruptness. Movies like this are one in a million among all that crap. So, that is one thing. Then, as an animal lover, this movie won my heart right away. If you have a pet or pets, you know how special a bond there is between you and them. It is love at its purest form and I don't believe it can be achieved between two humans. Jeff Bridges is brilliant as always and he plays a somewhat troubled man, having a writer's block and on a time-out from his wife and daughter. He already has two dogs but then this dog - Devon - enters his life but Devon is an abused dog, so he (Jeff Bridges) has trouble for a long time trying to live with him but he doesn't give up on this dog, he doesn't abandon him. Same rule applies if you wanna get along with an animal or a human: What's important is understanding and accepting each other, instead of forcing your wants and always going "my way". Or, this is me, sorry. No, we gotta learn to bend a little without losing our own identities. And finally, you can watch this one with your kids as there are no sex, violence drugs, etc.

Nothing ever happened, and then it was over.Along the way, I was super annoyed with Jeff Bridges character. He was such a clueless dog owner, and he didn't ever seem to figure anything out. I wanted to yell at the TV he was so dumb and horrible. One minute he's gonna return the dog to whoever sent it to him, then he decides he loves the dog and he wants to keep it, then he's literally throwing the dog on the ground in anger.... He learns a little bit about border collies, and their need for work/exercise, but then he builds a tiny pen for the dog. Really!? I kept thinking that something would be explained or resolved eventually -- why is the dog obsessed with school buses? What's going on with the main character's marriage? Etc. But nothing ever was.Seriously, this movie is utter crap, even worse than Marley & Me, and that's saying something!!!

Cute-but-mischievous pup meets fifty-year old ne'er do well. It's a formula that scores automatic points much like writing your name correctly on the SAT.As expected, Jeff Bridges is solid. As expected, the dog makes you want to rush out and adopt from a shelter. Beyond that, there's simply nothing. There is no back-story, no moral, no climax, no score, no notable supporting performances. I wouldn't be surprised if someone told me the plot had been improvised.I so very much wanted to like A Dog Year. I gave it five stars because, let's face it, who doesn't like Jeff Bridges or dogs? If the dog wasn't so lovable, I would have given the movie 1 star. If Jeff Bridges wasn't the lead, I'd have given it no stars.Dog of the Year is a better antidepressant drug alternative than it is a movie. I suppose these days, that's not such a bad thing.