The Dog Film, 2009, 90 minutes
Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" is enduring proof that amateur theatricals can be lots of fun. In that spirit, actor Seamus Mulcahy - who works as a dog sitter when he's not walking the boards - has created an homage to the Bard by directing an all-dog cast in a selection of Shakespeare's greatest hits. Human actors voice the immortal lines, which are surprisingly well-served, and the costumed canines are naturals at acting adorable. Yes, even the three witches in The Scottish Play.
The whole thing sounds too cute by half, but it works. A soulful mutt, one floppy ear down and one up, delivers the "To be or not to be" soliloquy from "Hamlet", and lies down on cue for the line "To sleep, perchance to dream." For kids who can't sit still for the classics, the mutt provides pain-free exposure to the Prince of Denmark's immortal words. Meanwhile, in the Shakespearean era's best cross-dressing tradition, a transvestite male Maltese gamely undertakes the role of the doomed Desdemona in a scene from "Othello". Updating the gender-bending theme, a female mutt does a convincing job of playing Romeo in the balcony scene from "Romeo and Juliet".
Even if you didn't spend much time with Shakespeare in school, you'll know that there were no tennis balls in the treasure chest presented to the title character in "Henry V", who's portrayed by a Bulldog. That's the only glaringly anachronistic liberty taken, and it's harmless. When the K9 Kate and Petruchio act out the witty courtship scene from "The Taming of the Shrew" - with one sniffing the other's butt at the line "What, with my tongue in your tail?" - I had to look up the script online just to be sure those words really are in the play (and they really are).
So fear not, Shakespeare fans - the Bard has not gone to the dogs. Or rather, he has, but that's not such a bad thing. Far from being a sacrilege, this DVD is a surprisingly respectful tribute, and an edu-tainment tool for turning kids on to the greatest playwright of all time. Some productions of Shakespeare will put audience members to sleep in no time flat, but for dogs with separation anxiety, that's the DVD's goal, which is why it offers a "Quiet Time" feature: a loop of dialogue-free scenes from the film, complete with musical accompaniment.
Presence of dogs: 
Respect for dogs:
Canine star quality:
Family friendly:
 |
Home |
About |
Help |
Order Tracking |
Careers |
Contact Us |
Request a Catalog |
Terms and Conditions |
Privacy Policy
