Tuesday, September 06, 2011

hachi: a dog's tale [2009]


we have a dvr. a great pleasure in owning a dvr is the ability to record tv shows and movies at will. i have a habit now. before i leave for work i scan a few favorite channels to see what if anything is worth recording. i found this movie, watched a few minutes of it while i was dressing, thought it was interesting, then turned the tv off. but when i got home this movie was just starting so i hit the dvr to record it. we ended up watching it as it recorded just the same.


i'm a fan of richard gere. he stars in this flick. so does joan allen. she plays gere's wife. gere is a music professor who takes the train to and from work. one night he finds a stray puppy at the station, an akita, a real cutie. gere takes the puppy home. he falls in love with the puppy despite his wife's protestations of having another dog [it's very strongly hinted that the couple lost a dog in the recent past]. she gives in. man and dog make an inseparable bond.


i'm also a fan of sweet-natured movies. this one is very sweet. gere is a wonderful man, husband and father. his wife is a terrific woman, wife and mother. they live in an idylic small town. richard gere is incredibly good looking. he gets better looking as he ages. i mentioned this flick to a coworker the next day and she asked if the movie features the young richard gere or the older one with grey hair. i say the older one. she says, YUMMY!!!!


there you are. swedish arthouse filmmaker lasse hallstrom was responsible for this film. i'm not sure if this movie is a remake of a japanese original. the story is based on a true story of the bond between a japanese professor and the stray akita he adopts in the 1920s. i'll say no more. i will say that if you get to the last 10 minutes and you are not balling your eyes out then you might want to consider making an appointment with your doctor. your heart may be defective.


i loved this movie. i think it needs no defence. there must be a space for movies that are about feelings, heart, sentiment, without any bloodshed or explosions, cgi or the wicked machinations of players looking to score. there must be a space for the tear-jerkers, those movies that were once called four hanky affairs. this movie is sentimental like william saroyan's novel the human comedy is sentimental. you can't get to the end of that book without reaching for your hanky or drying your eyes on your sleeves. so goes too this movie entered the world with little fanfare. it is sure worth your time.

2 Comments:

At 8:08 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

i have to see this movie now.

just last month me and the lady
met another couple by the "dog" statue
in tokyo by the shibuya subway stop.

this is the statue of the dog
which the movie is based upon.

it's "the" rendezvous spot and always
crowded with people waiting...

 
At 9:23 PM, Blogger richard lopez said...

i didn't know that this was a very famous story. the end of this flick tells the japanese story and gives a shot to the statue of the dog. pretty awesome that you were right there next to the statue of the pooch. yes, i heartily recommend this pic. but then i'm a sucker for them weepies.

 

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