Channing Tatum: 2022

"Dog" starts well and ends well, and it has some smart moments in the middle. What more could we want?

Channing Tatum is working at a Subway, stuffing lettuce in buns. A young patron becomes enraged because the toppings are wrong: We sense Tatum's repressed anger at the patron's entitlement, and we also sense that Tatum's mind is very, very far away. Soon enough, Tatum is calling his military advisory board, asking (pleading) to be re-deployed to Afghanistan.

Then the script gives us a new twist on Homer's Odyssey--something I haven't seen before. Tatum can get the clearance letter he needs--but only if he does a favor for his captain. A friend--gunned down--has left behind a traumatized dog. The dog can't get on an airplane. Tatum needs to drive the dog across the country, to be present at a military funeral; if this drive occurs, then a clearance letter could pop up.

You don't need to be Cassandra to make some predictions. Tatum is, at first, a selfish father, but he finds himself drawn to the dog (Lulu). As Tatum begins to care for Lulu, he gets out of his own head. Tatum treats Lulu to Ritz room service, screens Lulu's favorite show ("Grey's Anatomy"), and stands by Lulu in a graveyard while she mourns her lost friend. In turn, Lulu is a steady companion while Tatum lives through various high-intensity "attacks" (moments of panic, or PTSD).

I won't give away the final scenes, but, as you might guess, the story turns out to be about honesty and self-forgiveness (as much as it is about pet ownership).

You need hankies for this movie. And three cheers to Channing Tatum for making an odd choice, and for trying his hand at direction (on top of the acting). I'm pretty much always happy to see a Tatum effort (whether it's "Side Effects," "Magic Mike," "21 Jump Street," "Foxcatcher"). I'll continue to follow his career.

I really liked this crafty, unpretentious film.

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