A Dog's Tale (2021)

Worth the Tears

This movie is not for the faint of heart, esp if you do not like movies where the dog is put in a dangerous situation over and over again. It is quite anxiety-inducing.
Story: it is a straightforward plot with some twists and turns. Not knowing actually how it would end. This was based on a true story, so that makes it even more upsetting to watch knowing that a dog had this tenacity to find its original owner. I will not spoil the end of the movie but just know you will probably be crying. I like how they kind of twisted in morals regarding how we treat dog into the story, while also throwing in the product placements. ABCMaps and Purina dog food.
Acting/Cast: But I watched this movie for Ying Haoming, as an international fan getting to see Chinese movies is so hard but I was thankful to find it on youtube. He is essentially acting with a dog for the majority of his time on screen. And it is gut-wrenching. His crying felt so real, that I was crying I think 10 minutes into the movie and by the end, I was sobbing into my 4ft bear on my bed. The acting of the dog was also great! While I can not comment a lot on a dog's acting, you can tell by his mannerisms and whines the dog's emotions. But I will never shut up Ying Haoming's raw acting in this movie.
Music: the music was essentially a main lead. without the music the dogs scenes would be stagnant. it pushed the feeling fo the scene, and helped guide your emotions. whether it is a chase scene or a sad, depressing scene in the cold. it gave hopeful feelings and left me screaming in other times.
Rewatch: sometimes when a movie has such an overwhelming emotional story, it can be hard to rewatch but those initial feelings have already been used the first time. so you will not get the same reaction the subsequent times. but I would re-watch this. The acting, and warm fuzzy moments showing the bond between human and dogs is such a strong part of its reachability.

Overall: It is a quick movie, and it is a movie that will induce teras. And it is worth it. I am so happy I found the link (with 97) views and watched it. Ying Haoming is one of my favorite actors, and he was amazing in it and so was the dog.

Read More