Movie Review :: Marley & Me

 

Would you believe, if I say there is a "Canine" in lead role and Hollywood's two big star(Owen Wilson, Jennifer Aniston) share the screen space with him ?  But its true, at least in  David Frankels latest flick " Marley and Me". its one of those cute , cuddling ,lovable and dwindling movies which comes once in a while and successfully hit right note with the audience. Not only ME but also a few from audience left the theatre with tearful eyes. Yes, it was a touching story of "MARLEY" , the dog who though was labelled as "the worst dog" never tried to be a "Good dog" but lived a carefree life with all its antics ,without paying any attention to the world outside, that's how the lead "DOG" is summarized by "Owen Wilson".

Film opens up with Owen Wilson's monologue and then goes in flashback, when he is starting his bourgeois life with a beauty "Jennifer Aniston".its difficult times but,he somehow manages to get a job in press for himself and his wife.One fine day , he decides to surprise Jennifer with a gift. He takes her to a vet shop and asks her to select one puppy from the courtyard. Jennifer is surprised , overwhelmed and chooses one lazy looking Dog, the Marley and it becomes an extended family immediately. Now story unfolds slowly but carefully, the couple rears that puppy with love and affection and it becomes trigger for so many humorous incidents ,vying for each other.Marley is omnipresent in movie , and slowly matures into an ebullient Canine and you cant escape from liking the dog.The adult dog conjures up plenty of misdemeanours in movie enriching mundane days of couple.The scene when it embarrasses a lady Dog instructor is quite hilarious;be it chewing the household stuff like sofas, bed sheets, wood furniture etc , antics on sea beach,following the master like a faithful acolyte,his every action is full of energy ,very natural and gives life to the flick.Oh, see how i forgot to tell that Owen & Jeniffer, who can't escape delectable feeling of love-making,end up producing three children and Marley always prying for the coverage of those moments.

But as you touch the mid-point of plot , story starts taking a U turn, Jennifer has left her job for she finds it difficult to flit between office and home and chooses to rear up his progeny (Marley included). Owen has been promoted and Jenni is managing household chores meticulously.Hold your breath, because by interval ,audience is attuned with Marley and one rainy night, something unprecedented happens; Marley goes missing. The couple took up this arduous task and Owen finds "Marley" lying under a tree and as it plods back to home, you sense that something is wrong.Your omen comes true when a veterinarian tells that Marley has got an twisted stomach and his chances of survival are very bleak. You literally feel heart-broken and this announcement causes a consternation among the audience. Owne praises the dog saying " He is a fighter" and true to his words Marley survives that critical night and comes back to home doing what it knows the best, but,before you could relax in your cosy seats, the dog again falls to that "twisted stomach" syndrome and you realize, that it wont survive for long.

Climax is very simple but touching.As we see a graveyard and Marley's deadbody lying inside, the kids recites emotional encomium for extended family,Owen does the final rituals and goes back to home ,leaving the audience with a heavy heart and missing that cute dog " Marley", which made them go through an ensemble of emotions and touched their heart without being melodramatic.Period.

-यात्री

© Ajay Kr Saxena