The Art of Racing in the Rain

I expected this to be about average but what a pleasure to watch such a range of emotions. Heartwarming, breaking and also at time so much fun perfectly balanced and acted. A breath of fresh air.

... every now and then, whether we will admit it or not, we all need to watch such a film. If all you watch are Christopher Nolan and Ingmar Bergman films, you will eventually find yourself staring glassy eyed into space, drinking heavily, and wondering, in the words of the 70s band Chicago - "Does anybody really know what time it is?".

It's the story of Denny, an average Joe with a rather unique occupation - teacher of race car driving and an aspiring race car driver himself. What makes the story even more unique is the viewpoint - a story told in flash back by Denny's dog Enzo as is he is dying of old age in Denny's arms, starting from the time Denny adopted him as a puppy, to Denny's marriage to Eve, to the birth of their daughter, and everything that came in between and after.

Kevin Costner does a good job of narrating for Enzo. The pup makes the movie, and the actors don't try to get in the way. It is all about loyalty, determination, grieving, fear of abandonment, and friendship. But I do disagree with some reviewers here. I don't think I'd let a kid under ten see this. It gets pretty heavy at points. And a stuffed zebra has a scene that is as surreal as the Twilight Zone episode I saw as a kid with a bunch of mannequins calling out "Marsha!" to a terrorized woman locked in a department store at night. I saw that over 50 years ago and it still scares me. But I digress.

I'd recommend this when you just want a watch a film with admirable characters acting admirably in response to the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune. But there is one hissable villain just to give the film a little balance. I'd recommend it.

I have never reviewed a movie before but having seen this film on its opening day, not the kind of movie I'm normally attracted to (I booked it really for my wife as it was our wedding anniversary yesterday) I was so surprised how much I really enjoyed it! It has something for everyone to connect with. Beautifully put together and performed. But be warned, this is one moving movie. Even the toughest of guys will need the Kleenex nearby. My face was wet! Just as you have managed to hold back one tear-jerker response, along comes another. A real emotional roller-coaster which leaves you in awe at the end. Best real movie I've seen in a long time. Kevin was amazing. So was Amanda and Milo. Real characters with real feeling. You should all be so proud of this. My friend read the book and said it had the same affect. Clearly you have done the book due justice. Just Fabulous!

I hadn't read the book that it is based on, so only armed with the knowledge of a short synopsis, I really didn't know what to expect. It was actually quite good.

I thought listening to Kevin Costner drone on for a couple hours as a dog's inner monologue would be tedious, but the nuggets of wisdom peppered with the occasional witticism provided ample entertainment. I often felt like I was watching the "Thoughts of Dog" Twitter account played out in cinematic form. I absolutely loved both Milo Ventimiglia and Amanda Seyfried in this. The daughter was also played especially well by Ryan Kiera Armstrong. The relationships between themselves and also with Eve's (Seyfried) parents was perhaps a bit banal at times, but overall was still believable and endearing - although I felt like hitting the dad with my car at several points.

Afterwards, I overheard several people tell the studio rep that they hadn't expected the movie to be a "tear-jerker", and the sobs coming from the gentleman seated next to me seemed to confirm that. However, I found the story to not be overly sorrowful or sad, but inspirational. A guide, if you will, for how to become an exemplary person shown through the filter of a dog's belief that by gaining this knowledge he'll be reincarnated as a human in his next life. (I know it sounds silly, but it was actually quite poignant.)

My thoughts:

The Art of Racing in the Rain is beautifully and sensitively directed by Simon Curtis, who deftly orchestrates the poignant moments with humor.

Milo Ventimiglia's "This is Us" fans will recognize and love his Denny Swift; he was perfectly cast in this role.

I especially love how the movie showed the evolution of Eve & Enzo's relationship.

Kevin Costner is not the first person I'd think of to be the inner voice of a dog, but he does a great job.

This movie is a gift to anyone who's ever owned or loved a dog.