KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Hunter Willow Jones (age 11) reviews the film below:
Video review here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhaV-vEmSdk I LOVE this movie! It is heartwarming and the dogs are so adorable. I was not actually looking forward to watching Quill; I mean the title didn't seem very interesting. Also, it is a Japanese film with English subtitles, which didn't excite me. But as the movie progressed I like it more and more. Quill is the story of one special guide dog; a yellow Labrador named Quill because of a unique brown spot on his side. Shown as a docudrama, Quill goes from a small puppy with its mother being picked to be a guide dog because of his calm nature and sent to live with a foster family that loves and cares for him until he is a year old and then he is off to school where he learns to be the eyes for a blind person. Though Quill does not seem to learn as quickly as the other dogs, Satoru Tawada (KippeiShiina), Quill's trainer, is patient and sees the potential in him. Quill is teamed up with Mr. Watanabe (Kaoru Kobayashi), who is not a dog lover and does not like being blind. Though the pair has a rocky start, Mr. Watanabe grows to trust and respect Quill. The ending is inspiring despite it being sad. Technically, Quill was average with good sound and cinematography. The dogs in Quill are simply amazing. They are so well trained. I thought they were the best actors in the film. The subtitles were a little distracting, I didn't like that I couldn't understand what was being said and had to read it, but as I got into the movie that became easier. I liked seeing what life was like in Japan and that there are differences from my town like the way the houses look, but there are more things that are same like how we love our pets. When my parents and I were done watching Quill we talked a lot about the movie from what it is like to be blind to how dogs are trained to be guide dogs to the story and characters. Quill made us smile, laugh and cry, but it also made us think. Quill was released in Japan in 2004, but has just been released in American in May 2012. Quill is a wonderful movie for any age, but it is better for kids who know how to read. Kids and adults both will enjoy it. I give Quill five stars!
