Hachiko: A Dog's Story (2009)

Hachiko: A Dog's story (2009)

Director:

Lasse Hallström

Writers:

Stephen P. Lindsey (screenplay)

Kaneto Shindô
(motion picture "Hachiko monogatari)

            "I tend to think that there's an element of music that cannot be captured. Life cannot be captured. Human heart cannot be captured. The moment of creation itself is fleeting."

             Liz's side of the story: Since I'm not a a big fan of family movies, especially not of the ones with animals as main characters, I've been avoiding this one for a long time though it catched my eye on IMDB because of high ratings and, of course, Richard Gere. 

I thought: "Oh no, just another movie about the dog" (but little bit more interesting judging by the rating). Then, my dad (also a movie freak, he got me into it as a little kid) told me this was a terrific movie. I must admit I was a little bit jealous that he forestalled me because usually I am the one who gives him movie recommendations :).

Kyle watched it one day later based on my recommendation. I still remember how enthusiastically I told him about it (she sure did :) ).

Hachiko can be everything but just an ordinary family story about the dog.

             Plot story: Hachiko is an American remake of Hachiko monogatari (which we haven't wathced) based on a true events. If you want to know more details about real Hachiko you can find it on wikipedia ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hachik%C5%8D - contains SPOILERS). No wonder this dog got his own movies, books and also video games. Movie follows the life of the music professor Parker who takes an abandoned dog into his home and in time gets emotionally attached to him. This special dog accompanies his master every day to the work on the train station and greets him after work at the same place.

             The real event of this story took place in the 1920's but we don't mind that this movie doesn't cover the same period, although it's a bit unrealistic that a stray dog would wonder freely without being noticed by the pet control and taken care of in contemporary time. 

The direction is excellently done deprived of excessive characters and places. Richard Gere's charisma worked perfectly in portraying a family man of great heart and gentlemanly manners.

Not only is he an actor in this movie but also the producer. Despite of great actors (Joan Allen as Parker's wife - "The Bourne Ultimatum", Sarah Roemer . "Disturbia", Jason Alexander - there's no need of special introduction for legendary Seinfeld's character, or is it? :) ) the dog and Richard Gere steal the show just as they should. Their on - screen chemistry works just perfectly. Just as peaches and cream go  together. Special praises go to the scenes when we see things and events through Hachiko's eyes that are made in different imaging technique which relates you more to him and his feeling successfully making him the main character of this movie. Few people would remain indifferent while watching this movie because almost every human being is part of Hachiko symbolizing goodness, joy, vulnerability and loneliness.

I'm almost sure there's no human or animal that would be so much faithful as he was.

They say he chooses his master and not vice versa. Unlike most of the people, animals express their feelings with more ease and unconditionally love their masters. And then we think that we're at higher level. That's our big problem, people always tend to be better, stronger...

It's very frustrating how his wife and daughter abandoned Hachiko with such ease without even visiting him when he was practically part of Parker, but we do understand why it was made like that.

        I will never forget this movie because of tears I cried off and I dare to say that never in my life I have cried that much (and I cried many times). The thing that contributed to it was my lack of expectation for something like that since I haven't read or heard anything about it before watching it. I cannot put this movie in any drawer, not even in "a sad story" one.

I was not prepared for crying and buying tissues (and I almost ran out of them).

The night I watched it my sister got back from the party and I was just finishing the movie. She asked me what had happened when she saw me.

Unlike me, Kyle was well prepared for crying because I had the need of expressing my emotions so he did not cry emphasizing that he is a guy :p (what else was I supposed to say :) ).

The sad part of the story starts relatively soon and rest of it was a real masterpiece perfectly portraying Hachiko's feelings of loneliness, emptiness and sadness.

From many of the sad scenes we would never forget these three heart breaking ones:

Hachiko lying on the rails, the old and dirty Hachiko still full of hope, and of course, the last and the most devastating one.

           So, what we did expect was a sad story, but we didn't expect an emotionally charged masterpiece. 

It was almost like getting a cherry on top of the cake.

If you haven't seen this movie yet, hurry up, because this is a must see. Don't forget that crying is not a disgrace. Go and release Hachiko in you and launch yourself into this magic.

Don't forget the tissues :)

Our score:

Liz: 10/10

Kyle: 9.5/10