Marley & Me

In my opinion there has never been such an emotional film about the relationship between a man and animal. Marley and Me perfectly captures all the joys and worries of life with a dog. At first, Marley is a cute little puppy who Jenn lets do just about everything. Owen regrets getting him in the first place. As time goes on, Marley grows up and the leads begin to deal with the worries of looking after and raising a dog. Children come along and Jennifer's role as mother, wife, and dog owner is too much for her. Owen, on the other hand, feels that Marley is his only support. The kids grow up, moves come, a family comes together, and Marley ends up an old dog. It has to come at some point... the loss of a dog is borne by the whole family. Did it ever occur to the young couple at the time how hard it would be to say goodbye to Marley?… I appreciate that the film didn't fall into a cheesy story about how the dog causes one disaster after another and is eventually forgiven. Instead, it accurately portrays one dog's beautiful life. BEAUTIFUL. (10/28/2010)

An enjoyable, light-hearted film ending with a touch of melancholy. A great leading couple, especially Jennifer Aniston, and of course the perfect Marley and his even more perfect all-telling chocolate eyes. The plot moved along and I was really minimally bored, which is a gem in today's comedies. The best scene was when Marley walked with his front feet on the road next to the car while Owen Wilson in the car held his back feet. A truly touching and sad ending. I highly recommend it for viewing. (08/14/2009)

MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS. An American, at times funny family drama (I wouldn't quite describe it as a comedy) whose central theme is life with a cute little dog who becomes a rightful and inseparable member of the family, and the original label of "worst dog in the world" can take on a whole new meaning after a while. From my initial characterization (an American drama with a dog theme) it would seem that this story would be full of pathos and kitsch, yet it is quite the opposite. The proof lies in the fact that the scenes that classically lend themselves to "squeezing and wringing" (e.g. when Owen Wilson is driving Marley away, never to return), Frankel's film still maintains a very appealing position (not distance, just position), leaving it more up to the viewer to perceive or deal with the facts presented (okay, maybe they doubled down a bit, but it left me with a relatively gentle impression. :) Owen Wilson's closing monologue is a kind of bittersweet ending to this rather original and imaginative work. (10/26/2012)

It's hardly a comedy, more of a family film with romance. When the dog makes mischief it's fun in places, Jennifer Aniston is great to watch and Owen Wilson is also likable, quite touching at the end but didn't impress me too much. 60% (07/18/2016)

What a beauty! You don't have to be a die-hard pet lover or a happy married couple who just got a hyperactive 50 kg canine monster to like and understand this film, all you have to do is sit back in your armchair, turn off your brain and let the beauty of Jennifer Aniston, the charisma of Owen Wilson and the unprecedented vigour of their adorable family pet carry you away for almost two hours. Sometimes, all it takes is a little, but this emotionally captivating comedy works so well in every way that "little" is the wrong word.... Good job ;) 80% (09/16/2012)