My Life as a Dog (1985)

Sorry, this movie sucks

Sadly Over-hyped

Just what I expected

A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.

"My Life as a Dog" is a simple story about a 12 year old, mischievous boy, who is trying to find his way. He has a brother that he does not really get along with, a mother who is getting progressively sicker, and a dog who gives him the love that he is not able to get from either his mother or brother.To help his mother recover, he is sent packing, off to live for the summer with an uncle, where he finds a place to fit in, and friends and neighbors who are just as "strange" and mischievous.The film is a memory, neither romanticized or critical of either the boy or his family and friends. It simply tells the tale of a boy on the verge of puberty and the confusing feelings that he experiences.I didn't like the repetitive nature of the narration that occurs throughout the film, but I found myself drawn into the story and the characters.Lasse Hallstrom does a marvelous job of getting genuine, honest performances from all of his actors, who are all excellent.8 out of 10

After I had seen "The Cider House Rules" and "Chocolat", I took some interest in Swedish-born director Lasse Hallstrom, and so I decided to check out one of his movies from his native country. "Mitt liv som hund" ("My Life as a Dog" in English) really impressed me. This story of abandoned boy Ingemar hits the perfect balance between sentimental and gritty, with one scene that was probably there for a little comic relief (you'll know what I mean if you see the movie). Probably the most effective scene is when Ingemar talks about Laika, the Soviet space-dog. Just as happened to Laika, Ingemar didn't want to have to go through this, it was done to him. And both Laika and Ingemar got left in limbo. Both were victims of cold, abstract forces.Anyway, this is definitely one that I recommend. In my opinion, Hallstrom's American movie most like this one was "What's Eating Gilbert Grape", about a destitute family in Iowa. Both are worth seeing.

A young 11-year-old boy discovers life, death and girls. My Life as a Dog really is as simple as that. Nothing else really happens, but that's what makes it so magical. Ingemar (Anton Glanzelius) leads a simple but complex life where his mother dies young and he is consequently sent to live with his uncle. At first I thought this would be depressing, but this was not the case. I thought his uncle would abuse him; the other kids wouldn't like him etc. I was pleasantly surprised to see Ingemar loved by all.Ingemar meets a girl on the football pitch, gets beaten by the same girl at boxing and falls through a window trying to spy on a naked women posing for a sculpture. He reads the text from an underwear section in a mail order catalogue to his uncles Dad and learns the art of glass blowing. It's all very simple and silly, but completely enjoyable. There are a few uncomfortable moments, which could be misconstrued as inciting paedophilia, but it's just what kids do when growing up. "You show me yours and I'll show you mine" is all part of growing up, it happens to us all. Whether it should be shown on screen is another thing. I found it uncomfortable to watch but I could relate to it, hence making it compelling. This is not a criticism…it's credit. Anton Glanzelius gives a wonderful performance as 11-year-old Ingemar, as do the rest of the cast. The scenery, when it's not snowing, is green and wonderful to look at. The film barely scrapes the 90minute mark, which is just enough. Anymore and it would have been boring. You can only show so much of the Swedish countryside. Lasse Hallstrom's The Shipping News has a similar simple plot, but was boring because it was too long at 111 minutes. 90 minutes is perfect for something so simple.

I am dumbfounded as to the reason this film caught flattering attention. I love foreign and art house, and I know why it caught my attention: I watch anything. But I actually stopped watching this tepid tragedy due to disinterest, waited a few days and re-played it, this time all the way through. Despite it's promising subject matter this script is far from adventurous; the boy learns nothing from his experiences and the townspeople are no more eccentric than your average Swede. Due to a miscast of the lead character (he is 12 years old, but the actor seems about 9) the sexual encounters he has are borderline creepy. There could have been a deeper, lost metaphor between the loss of his dog and his thoughts of his dying mother, but if so, it was either lost in translation or wound up on the cutting room floor.If you want an excellent film that tackles looming death or losing a loved one rent "Autumn Spring" or Hallstrom's better venture, "The Shipping News". Hmmm, Death. That reminds me. I was less bored watching the walking scene in "Gerry". Rent that too.