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Sometimes a dog’s life is better than it seems particularly
when seen from the point-of-view of his master. “Marley
& Me” finds writer John Grogan (Owen Wilson) mining the
experiences of his own life with his dog Marley for his
column in a Florida newspaper. Jenny (Jennifer Aniston who
IMHO is totally unbelievable in her role) has the more successful
career and finds herself a bit frustrated with the fact
that she has to put her career on hold while raising their
family. Both want the freedom that they had when they were
single and the careers opportunities that their friends
have available to them. The unrealistic expectation of having
it all (so many people want it but end up paying for having
it all in one form or another)shadows their marriage, careers
and life luckily Marley provides plenty of lighter moments
for them to focus on—he’s really the pivot that keeps their
world turning without falling apart. Whether it be humping
a dog trainers leg (Kathleen Turner gone for far too long
from films IMHO) creating chaos in the house, Marley provides
the comic release value for the Grogan family. ***
Make no mistake about it “Marley & Me” isn’t a great
film nor is it a particularly good one but it’s entertaining
and that’s the least one can ask from a film like this particularly
a mainstream comedy with elements of drama. Featuring a
strong supporting cast including Alan Arkin and Eric Dane,
“Marley & Me” is often touching just as often as it is funny
or cheesy and is a solid bit of entertainment that doesn’t
require you to look deeply into your soul. --
Image & Sound:
A sharp looking, detailed transfer prevents this Blu-ray
from going to the dogs so to speak. It’s not what I would
call A/V demo quality but it’s good enough to watch on your
living room high def TV. Once again Fox did not sent out
a preview copy of the Blu-ray which is why this review is
a bit late in coming. ***
Audio sounds extremely good with dialogue front and
center. The surround speakers in the DTS-HD MA 5.1 are nicely
used for ambience during many of the outdoor scenes. It’s
nothing to write home about but then again this isn’t meant
to be a knock-your-socks off type of Blu-ray.
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