Is love a bitch? Apparently so for British author J. R. Ackerley. He was always looking for an elusive companion to come to his life, yet this companion never materialized … until Tulip, a mischievous female German Shepherd came to his life and became inseparable. Together, they started many misadventures, including searching for the ideal vet and mate for Tulip, and other ordeals which turned out to be much harder than it seemed.
“My Dog Tulip” is a beautiful 2D animation by award-winning filmmakers Paul and Sandra Fierlinger. There are two distinctive animation styles that interchanged freely in the film. One is a smooth, sophisticated yet simple style with splash of colors and graceful lines. The other is a childish doodle that reflects the author’s dream state or imagination.
J. R. Ackerley is voiced by Christopher Plummer who has a deep, soft, resonant voice who talks elegantly. I love his voice. The film is unrated and not appropriate for kids because of numerous observations of Tulip’s body functions including reproduction. My Dog Tulip is definitely made for adults.
I give the film 4 starfish, the same rating that I give to DreamWorks’ Megamind which also opens on Nov 5. For San Diego movie lovers, you can see the film at Landmark La Jolla Village Cinemas. Mom & I saw the film at press screening at Landmark Hillcrest, which I love. The Italian soda there is “Perrific!” too.
My Dog Tulip tells a moving story between a man and his dog who became companion for each other. I think all dog lovers and many animal lovers will relate to this “Perrific” film. I love its simple elegance in animation, similar to some of my own drawing style. I also like the literary voice of this film. One of my favorite quotes here is “Unable to love each other, the English naturally turn to dogs.”
Dogs have such humanity that they are often more than man’s best friends.
Copyright 2010 by Perry S. Chen
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Perry recently became the youngest winner of San Diego Press Club 2010 Excellence in Journalism awards. He is reviewing G/PG-rated movies for the San Diego Union Tribune with over 300,000 readers. He was featured on Variety for being one of the leading young film critics:
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118026037.html?categoryid=4137&cs=1 [1]
Read all of Perry’s reviews and upcoming events on his website http://www.perryspreviews.com [2]
Links:
[1] http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118026037.html?categoryid=4137&cs=1
[2] http://www.perryspreviews.com/