My dog Skip (Frankie Muniz)

(Amazon UK link)

Just over three years ago, I came across the DVD of ‘My dog Skip’ - and probably some others - in a thrift store, and bought it inexpensively. It looked like a pleasant family film, rated U, but for some reason we didn’t get around to watching it until last night. 

I was slightly concerned that it might be a ‘weepy’, but was relieved that it really wasn’t. The film was made in 2000 but set in the 1940s in Mississippi. It's based on a true story which was written in a book of the same name by Willie Morris. 

There’s an introductory voiceover from an adult, talking about looking back to his childhood. And then we meet young Willie, who is brilliantly played by Frankie Muniz. Willis is only supposed to be eight at the start of the film, and the actor must have been thirteen or fourteen, but he’s totally believable both then, and as he starts to grow up. 

Under the Tuscan sun (Diane Lane)

(Amazon UK link)

It’s over ten years since we first saw the film ‘Under the Tuscan sun’, so it seemed like a good idea to watch it again. I had entirely forgotten what it was about. I realised, after seeing the credits and one of the extras, that it was based on a semi-autobiographical book with the same title. 

The main character is a woman called Frances, played entirely believably by Diane Lane. Frances is a writer, who learns that her husband has been unfaithful. The early scenes are short and rapid, and we see her trying to negotiate a divorce settlement, then moving into a small and rather seedy flat. 

Frances’ best friend is called Patti (Sandra Oh). She and her partner meet Frances for a celebratory dinner after the divorce is finalised… and Frances learns that her friend is pregnant. She is then given a very generous offer of an Italian tour, which she’s reluctant, at first, to take. 

Must Love Dogs (Diane Lane)

(Amazon UK link)

We wanted something light and undemanding to watch, so we decided to see ‘Must Love Dogs’. We saw it ten years ago, but had entirely forgotten the storyline. We’re not dog-lovers ourselves but storylines involving dogs are usually good value, often with some canine humour thrown in.

Dogs don’t, in fact, feature all that highly. It’s the story of two people who are single and really don’t have any wish to start dating again. Sarah (Diane Lane) is a preschool teacher of around 40 who has been recently divorced. She’s quite close to her siblings, who are determined to match her up with someone. But their attempts, although mildly amusing, are not at all successful.

Meanwhile Jake (John Cusack) is also recently divorced, but has little interest in starting a new relationship. He loves building boats from scratch, but his best friend tries to match-make and he goes along with it, although without a great deal of enthusiasm.

One of Sarah’s siblings signs her up for a dating website, giving her an exaggerated description, including the fact that a potential ‘match’ must love dogs. Not that Sarah owns a dog herself, but she’s looking after her brother’s. This is how she comes to meet Jake, in a park, with a borrowed dog.

The two do not hit it off, and there’s a side story where Sarah is really quite attracted by the father of one of her young students. He’s clearly keen on her but she’s concerned about the ethics of dating a parent of one of the children in her care, even though it’s a child she finds quite appealing. So for a while it’s not certain which way the story is going to go - neither of us could remember.

I suppose it’s not a particularly memorable film, but it has some good lines, and more humour than some ‘rom-com’ movies. An added bonus is Christopher Plummer as Sarah’s father, who’s quite elderly but also rather a womaniser. It’s probably due to this that the film is rated 12; we didn’t notice any violence or bad language, but there are many references to sexual actvities (though nothing explicit).

It made a good light evening’s viewing, and no doubt we’ll watch it again in another decade or so, when, once again, we will have completely forgotten the story.

Review copyright 2022 Sue's DVD Reviews

Under the Tuscan Sun (Diane Lane)

(Amazon UK link)

Every so often Amazon recommends a film to me which I've never heard of before, based on my previous choices. I assume this was one of those; the reviews sounded good, and I added it to my wishlist. It's based on a true biographical book of the same name, by Frances Mayes.

In the film we first meet Frances - played by Diane Lane - at a large reception. She is an American writer, although she’s struggling a bit with her muse and has mostly been writing book reviews. At the reception she gets her first hint that her husband is being unfaithful…

We’re then fast-forwarded through a traumatic period in Frances’ life where her only support seems to be her two closest friends, a lesbian pair, one of whom is expecting a baby. Patti (Sandra Oh) is very believable as her closest friend. Worried about Francis’ growing depression and lack of inspiration, Patti and her partner send her to Italy on a package holiday.

Through a series of coincidences, Frances spots and then buys an extremely run-down villa. She sets to work on the daunting task of getting it repaired and renewed. It’s evidently a metaphor for her life which also needs a great deal of repair and refurbishment; these both gradually happen through the course of the film.

It’s not a lot as far as plot goes; but Frances’ journey is punctuated by a series of interesting people. Some are undoubted caricatures, included for a bit of humour, others are more realistic. The Italian way of life is parodied in a way that feels warm and only a little overdone - and the positive side is shown more than the stereotyped negatives.

'Under the Tuscan Sun' is billed as a romantic comedy but it's far more a ‘coming of age’ story, even though Frances is probably in her thirties. There are several possible men who appear in her life, one of whom becomes a lover - but gradually she realises that she can be her own person without the need of a special guy, or of anyone to approve of her choices. Her deepest wishes can be fulfilled in ways she does not necessarily foresee, and her eventual happiness arises out of her own personality and inner growth.

It was a good film to watch with my husband when we wanted to relax, and not deal with anything complicated. We both like character-based stories, we appreciated the gentle digs at Italian (and American) culture, and we enjoyed the gorgeous scenery. The humour is understated, but we certainly smiled a few times.

This film is rated 15 in the UK, which I think is about right. There’s one ‘moderate’ intimate scene and occasional ‘strong’ language; the story could have been managed with a less explicit scene and yet it’s quite tastefully done. The subject matter and slow pace isn’t likely to be of any interest to younger teenagers anyway.

This film is not for those who like action or complex story-lines; nor for those who take offence at stereotypes. But if you want a gentle character-based story with an attractive backdrop, a strong female lead and occasional light-hearted moments, I would recommend this.

There aren't many extras on the DVD, but we enjoyed the brief documentary about the film and its making. There were three deleted scenes, one of which we thought well have been included, although the final one was a bit silly.

Review copyright 2015 Sue's DVD Reviews

Must Love Dogs (Diane Lane, John Cusack, Dermot Mulroney)

(Amazon UK link)

I'm not quite sure why 'Must Love Dogs' appeared on my wishlist; probably Amazon recommended it to me, based on other films I had rated and enjoyed. The reviews sounded reasonably positive, and it's in the light-hearted romantic genre, so I was pleased to receive it as a gift for Christmas.

So, with a free evening last night, we sat down to watch this with a guest. We expected something fluffy that would not require much thought, and, indeed, that's what we got.

The plot is about Sarah (Diane Lane) who is recently divorced. She works as a pre-school teacher, and is happy enough. However, she's part of quite a big extended family, who think she must be desperate for romance, so try to set her up with other men. Her family includes a womanising father (played by an aging Christopher Plummer) and a busybody sister Carol (Elizabeth Perkins) who sets Sarah up on a matchmaking website.

Of course, not all the guys who get in touch with Sarah are suitable... we see cameos of various dates with caricatured bores, geeks and even one who bursts into tears every couple of minutes. Sarah really isn't interested in another guy; she prefers to hang out with some safe gay friends who reassure and comfort her.

However, there are two rather nice men Sarah comes across who do appeal – the ‘incorrigible’ Bob, father of one of her students, and Jake, a perfectionist boat-builder who doesn’t seem able to make a sale. It's not immediately obvious which one she was going to end up with, although it soon became clear.

There were a few dogs thrown into the mixture, some lines that made us smile, and a happy, if predictable ending. All in all, 'Must love dogs' was a pleasant evening’s viewing.

Rated 12 in the UK, PG-13 in the US, probably due to repeated references to sex. However, there is nothing explicit in the film, no nudity, no violence, and - unusually - we didn't notice any bad language.

Review copyright Sue's DVD Reviews