My Life As a Dog: Amazon.ca: Anton Glanzelius, Stig Engstr�m, Anita Ekstr�m, G�ran Stangertz, Lena Lindgren, Marvin Yxner, Claire Wikholm, Wiveka Alexandersson, Yvonne Elgstrand, Janne Forsell, Christer Jonsson, Lilly Kellberg, J�rgen Persson, Lasse Hallstr�m, Waldemar Bergendahl, Brasse Br�nnstr�m, Per Berglund, Reidar J�nsson: DVD

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Simultaneously elegiac and raw, this uneven--but unforgettable--tearjerker tells the story of Ingemar, a 12-year-old working-class Swedish boy sent to live with his childless aunt and uncle in a country village when his mother falls ill. Beginning with several representations of the most savage, unsentimental domestic intensity imaginable (interplay between a sick parent and loving child has never looked anywhere near as explosive), My Life as a Dog wisely doesn't attempt to maintain that level of danger; rather, the change in locale to rural Sweden is accompanied by a slackening of pace and a whimsical breeziness. Nevertheless, the tragic condition of Ingemar's mother (and later, the indeterminate fate of Sickan, his beloved dog, consigned to a kennel) hovers over the narrative with a gripping portentousness. At times, director Lasse Hallström misplaces the rhythm, and the film threatens to degenerate into a series of rustic vignettes; luckily, Ingemar's relationship with Gunnar, the jocular yet somewhat sinister uncle who essentially adopts him, carries a fascinating charge. In Swedish, with subtitles. This was later rewritten, whether intentionally or not, by Spike Lee, who changed the gender of the child, set the story in New York City, added a 1970s soul soundtrack, and called it Crooklyn. --Miles Bethany

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Customer Reviews

25 Reviews

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

Average Customer Review

4.3 out of 5 stars (25 customer reviews)

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Poignant, beautiful film -- nice DVD too, Mar 14 2003

By

NutMac "NutMac" (Mountain View, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: My Life As a Dog (DVD)

I caught My Life as a Dog on PBS many years ago. To those who have not seen this film, it's a bittersweet tear jerker told from a boy's point of view (somewhat similar to Christmas Story), filled with many super funny scenes, dramas, and surprises.

Directory Lasse Hallström has gone to make a number of popular films in Hollywood (Cider House Rules, Chocolat, Shipping News, What's Eating Gilbert Grape), but I think this Swedish precursor is his superior work. His signature beautiful images (by cinematographer Jörgen Persson), filled with quirky yet fully defined supporting characters, and filled with heartwarming scenes.

Criterion's DVD is superior to all previous video presentations, remastered in high definition and presented in widescreen anamorphic video and original mono Swedish sound with faithful English subtitle. The images look a bit grainy, but I think very faithful to director's intention (who has supervised and approved the transfer) and completely satisfying.

The DVD is short of special features (just interview with Hallström, his early short TV feature "Shall With Go to My or Your Place or Each Go Home Alne", and trailer). Highly recommended.

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4.0 out of 5 stars My Life As a Dog- Criterion, Feb 16 2004

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Dustin Tyler Morris (Higley, AZ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: My Life As a Dog (DVD)

My life As a Dog is one of my favorite movies ever. The only changes I have noticed in the subtitles on the Criterion edition are that the line, "keep a tight rope," was changed to "keep up the tension," and that "bubbles" on the glass were changed to "blisters." There are no subtitles for "Shall We Go to Your Place, or My Place, or Each Go Home Alone?" Which I found to be a detractor. The trailer and main menu are satisfying, but the only really great part to the disc is the movie, the rest is filler.

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4.0 out of 5 stars The Criterion version came out March 11, 2003, Mar 12 2003

By

Brian J. Dworak "dvdaholic" (Tennessee, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: My Life As a Dog (DVD)

Any review of this DVD before that time is not worth evaluating. They may refer to the older DVD but they have nothing to do with the new Criterion. The Criterion is a far superior release in every way. The transfer is very nice, with warm colors and vibrant tones, albeit a tad soft at times. Audio is DD mono but serves it's purpose well. Extras include a 1973 film by the Director a new interview with him, a short essay by Kurt Vonnegut and the original trailer. Adults may want to screen this movie before letting their children view it as there are scenes with nudity and a few sexual situations. Then again if your kids watch foreign films then they are probably more mature than most! The only drawback I found was that about 45 minutes into the movie the subtitles start to lag behind the Swedish dialogue. This only lasts about two minutes but it can take you out of the story momentarily (hence 4 stars instead of 5). With that as the only caveat, there is no reason not to buy this wonderful new release of one of the very best childhood films ever made. Strongly recommended.

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Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars This is what you have been looking for!
Occasionally life offers pearls that are accessible. This is one of them. Buy it, please! You will be richer for it.

Published on Dec 4 2002 by Patrick Lang

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Movie I've seen
This is truly a bery good well acted,written,and produced film. I can't stop watching it. I'm not very fluent in Swedish,but the subtitles are great. Read more

Published on July 24 2002