Marley & Me

As movies get increasingly ‘sophisticated’, with more intricate plots, big sets & even bigger explosions (with the help of computer graphics wizardry, not to mention awesome animations like Wall-E), most people like me have almost forgotten the adage -

Sometimes, the best stories are the simplest ones

Marley & Me is one such story, which catches your attention from the word go and never lets it slacken, even though it has none of the thrills or twists that we have come to expect in regular cinema. It’s a real-life story about the family of reporter John (Owen Wilson) & Jennifer Grogan (Jennifer Aniston), and their dog - Marley. It follows their lives from the time they move to Miami and decide to adopt the cute little Labrador pup, to its growing up, the birth of their own children and how their lives change after that.

So its not a story about man-dog bonding, not at all. And to be honest, Marley is anything but adorable as he grows up – its not for nothing that he is labeled the worst dog in the world !! But all the same, his antics are really enjoyable – as they are unpredictable! And even though the camera seems to be focused mainly on Marley, you are slowly but surely eased into the world of the Grogans – their tribulations, their little compromises and their love for each other. Their relationship is shown as a slice of real life – no sugary sappiness, no unrealistic situations ! Just simple married life, with the odd googly that life inevitably throws …

I am deliberately not writing more as I don’t want to give away the entire story. But definitely go and watch it. It’s a very warm & honest story about people growing up, maturing – a slice of real life – but with a mad dog for company :) !!