CINEMATIC Review

MY LIFE AS A DOG   ***

Lasse Hallström

1985

IDEA:   Separated from his trouble-making brother and ill mother, young Ingemar is sent to live with his uncle in a small town, where his many experiences spur a unique story of self-discovery.

BLURB:   A childhood coming of age tale that is a sweet confection of warm humor and straight-from-the-heart pathos. Seen from the eyes of a young Swedish boy navigating the tricky grounds of growing up, the movie more than anything does an excellent job of conveying that confused period between innocent longing and grown-up heartache, as the boy’s placid life is interrupted by tragic events always out of his control. The oft-mentioned dog Laika, sent up to space without a choice and at the mercy of others, creates an especially poignant parallel to which we view our protagonist.