Baxter (1990)

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

I though this was really good, I loved it Just don't expect Cujo, this totally different!As Baxter (the dog) is telling us the story, how he sees and feels about his different owners.I didn't like the last five minutes, I found that little hard to watch

Baxter is a French movie inspired by Ken Greenhall's Hell Hound novel. Set in Belgian suburbs, it revolves around the relation between a dog called Baxter and his owners – those he calls "the humans". Indeed, this is a dog that thinks and speaks aloud! But, far from being a Scooby Doo or a Beethoven, Baxter's behavior is far more realistic, and beastly. As we soon discover, Baxter is a creature with a strong character and distinct tastes, which will lead the story in unexpected directions.The narration is structured in an initial prologue followed by three segments, one for each of Baxter's owners. The movie is occasionally humorous, but overall very dark and serious. It explores the beastly spirit found in animals as well as in humans, and the joys and sorrows of a discipline of obedience. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Films where animals are given a persona and a human voice have long been a staple of children's entertainment, but I can't think of a single film made for adults where this is the case. With the exception of oddball French flick 'Baxter', of course! Any film with a premise as weird as this one is bound to become a must see for yours truly, but this is an idea which, when fused with black comedy, certainly has the potential to be great, and Jérôme Boivin's film comes close to fulfilling that promise. The film has a couple of points to make, and tries to fuse them with the perspective of a dog. The film follows Baxter - a bull terrier given to an old lady by her daughter. Baxter isn't fond of his owner, but she keeps him because she's lonely. However, it's not long before Baxter decides he's had enough and the old woman meets an untimely end. Baxter then moves on to the young couple across the street, where's he's happy for a while again, right up until their baby is born and he gets his nose pushed out. Baxter is searching for a human like him; and unfortunately, he soon finds one.The film shows that no matter how evil a mind an animal has, there's always a human with a worse one. Baxter succeeds in showing life from the point of view of a supposedly obedient animal, and the most powerful things in this respect are the things that show the dog at it's most instinctive - things like mating with another dog and bending to his masters' will. The dog in this film may be a comical impression of the real life 'mans best friend', but somehow it doesn't feel so unbelievable that you can't buy into the film. The main reason why this film is so eerie owes to the voice artist behind the dog. Maxime Leroux's voice gives Baxter a distinctive air of evil and authority, which suits the dog well. The things that the dog says are always interesting and often insightful, which helps the film to create an absurd atmosphere as dogs aren't usually associated with intellectual intelligence. The conclusion to the film is undoubtedly shocking and completely surprising, and works really well. Overall, Baxter is too weird a film to ignore and for that reason if nothing else, it gets my full recommendation.

This movie will change the change the way you look at talking dogs. Baxter is inexpressibly existentialist, indubitably French, and unbelievably EVIL. A French movie that makes fun of French movies, a dog filled with ennui, fear and loathing; I do not jest when I tell you this is Erostratus crossed with Babe. A cartoon for the cruel. A very bad dog indeed.