Strong and Moving!

Most undeservingly overhyped movie of all time??

Memorable, crazy movie

Highly Overrated But Still Good

The title doesn't actually fit the movie in my opinion. The movie teaches a lot such as the root for not a thing is nothing and many others. The lead character is not at all shy and hates everything and everyone except his wife and Amy. Sometimes I think though that Ms. Wright-Penn is going to burst a vein in her neck from arguing with him. After a half hour you get tired of listening to him belly-ache and just want him to start being more like his mother in law! Which is quiet. It is chuck full of quick witted material though. But it doesn't deserve 3 stars from TV Guide when movies such as The Break-Up only rates 2. Are you kidding me, TV Guide rating people? Just because an actor has an accent doesn't mean he deserves a 3 star rating.

How to Kill Your Neighbor's Dog is the directing debut of screenwriter Michael Kalesniko, and it shows. An excellent cast, intelligent dialogue, nice ending and all over well-made doesn't help, as Mr Kalesniko have had editing problems with his own script - he has forgotten the golden writing rule of killing your own darlings.Evidently the director/writer Kalesniko feels that writing is hard, and frustrating, therefore a large part of the film is about the lead character (well played by Branagh) having problems writing his latest play, which maybe could be interesting for his (Kalesniko's) friends and family, but certainly of little importance to the general public. It is old ground which has been covered before, numerous times, and better, to boot.If the film was re-edited I think it could be a smashing hit, if it concentrated on the lead character's family life, and his neighbours (including the excellent dog), and not so much on this stage production that never really takes off. It is neither funny enough, nor moving enough, even if the role of the theater's janitor (played with such bravado by Brett Rickaby) is a premium class gem. That the play's director flips every other scene and starts to sing instead of directing is weird, that's all!Other first class acts are Suzy Hofrichter as the young Amy, and Lynn Redgrave as the demented mother, and Jared Harris as Branagh's doppelganger. Robin Wright Penn plays the role of Branagh's wife with confidence, while I have seen better performance from Branagh. So I'm looking forward to Michael Kalesniko's next film, and hope he re-releases this one, in a shorter, better, version.I'll give it a 9 for the acting, 9 for the dialogue, but 3 for the editing (tempo, majestro, tempo!) and a 4 for the over-all impression! So, in conclusion a 5/10, so not good, but promising!

This film starts out as a dark comedy but about halfway through it turns on the sentimentality. Story is about a Los Angeles playwright that is in production with his new play and is having a terrible time with re-writes. Kenneth Branagh plays Peter McGowan and along with his play he and his wife Melanie (Robin Wright Penn) are trying to conceive a child and he is having difficulty with that also. Peter chain smokes and is not to crazy about kids but he is introduced to his new neighbors daughter Amy (Suzi Hofrichter) who has cerebral palsy. Melanie's mother Edna (Lynn Redgrave) is suffering from advanced senility and lives with them and Peter is having a difficult time concentrating on his play. And he also has a difficult time sleeping at night because his neighbors dog keeps barking so Peter goes for midnight walks and meets a man from England (Jared Harris) that has been telling everyone that he is Peter McGowan when in fact he's just an obsessed fan. This film is directed by Michael Kalesniko who wrote the screenplay for "Private Parts" and he displays a knack for showing the struggles of a writer but aside from that this is a film that meanders until it eventually wears itself out. Redgrave seems completely wasted as the senile mother of Penn. She has one effective scene with Branagh as she lies in bed but other than that her role is relegated to wandering about their home in a trance. Penn plays her role rather straight forward but she displays real charm that I think she's never really shown before on screen. Not a complicated part but she gives it her all. The film starts out with showing all of Peters quirks and difficulties but once that is done the film wanders and meanders until its reduced to Peter getting very sentimental over his neighbor Amy. Branagh is believable as a writer but all the events that go on around him are not.

First of all, the biggest obstacle to enjoying and appreciating this movie is the fact that the title alone is going to keep it out of most people's hands. Let's face it, when the average, discerning viewer browsing the local video store shelves comes across one called `How To Kill Your Neighbor's Dog,' it immediately gets mentally shuffled into the mindbox right alongside such obtuse fare as the consummately repugnant and forgettable `Surf Nazis Must Die,' (which, by the way, is a title I never thought would issue forth from my fingertips for any reason whatsoever, but it happens to work here) or the likes. I mean, slapping on such a designation is like insisting on a strike three call with the first pitch when you're the batter. Then again, there's that old saying about judging a film by it's cover. Take `Office Space,' for example; who in a million years would have expected something as entertaining and insightful from Mike Judge, the guy who gave the world Beavis and Butthead, for crying out loud? (Still, in retrospect, Beavis and Butthead wasn't half bad...). The point is, writer/director Michael Kalesniko did himself a major disservice with his title, which may have been a shock value attempt to grab some attention that didn't really work out. But if you can overcome what for most will surely be an entirely understandable prejudice against this one, you'll be in for a treat. And in the final analysis, it points up the wisdom of not dismissing any movie out-of-hand.Hollywood denizen Peter McGowan (Kenneth Branagh) is a successful playwright, but in the show biz tradition of `what have you done for me lately?' he is having trouble getting his latest play off to a running start. Rehearsals have begun, but even director Brian Sellars (David Krumholtz) can't seem to find the magic. And poor Peter is experiencing a heavy hit of writer's block that is preventing him from fixing it, and working out of his home doesn't seem to be the answer. Wife Melanie (Robin Wright Penn) is supportive, but they have no children of their own, and pursuant of her natural motherly instincts, she has taken on eight-year-old Amy Walsh (Suzi Hofrichter), daughter of new neighbor and single mom Trina (Lucinda Jenney), to babysit. In addition to which there is a `False Peter' (Jared Harris) roaming about the neighborhood, a fan, apparently, who has taken on Peter's identity, and to top it all off, the neighbor's dog just will not quit barking. Suffice to say Peter is not seeing the world through rose colored glasses these days, but there has to be an answer to his many and myriad dilemmas; now all he has to do is find it.Perhaps sabotaging his own film with a title that instantly relegated it to `cult' status was Kalesniko's way of getting into his alter-ego's skin and exploring Peter's conundrum and his possible reactions. And if such was the case, it worked. Because once you give this film a chance, you'll find that it's funny, poignant and actually filled with some pretty astute insights into and observations of the human condition. This is a black comedy/drama, to be sure, but at the heart of the film there is a dramatic story that will evoke no small amount of empathy and compassion from the audience. Which is to say, with this film you get so much more than what you bargained for; it is decidedly NOT what you're expecting based on the title alone. There are a couple of instances in which Kalesniko succumbs to a bit of unnecessary low-brow humor, but it's not enough to detract from the whole. In the end, this film dips deeply into the pockets of human nature to extract the kind of sentiments (without being sentimental) rarely found in a film of this genre, and it makes a positive and lasting impression.The role of a transplanted Brit insomniac playwright with writer's block must have seemed like a character out of a dream for Kenneth Branagh, who totally immerses himself in Peter and comes up with a winning and memorable portrayal. The character was obviously well written to begin with, but Branagh takes hold of the part and runs with it, making it entirely his own by lending the kind of depth and nuance to it that really brings Peter to life. The development of the character is effected extremely well, too, as initially, Peter is a guy who is not necessarily likable, with quirks and peccadilloes aplenty. But as the story progresses, so does Peter, and there's some tender moments along the way that are quite unexpected, given the attitude and bearing Peter starts out with. And it's the way Branagh brings his character around that makes it work; it evolves rather than coming from a sudden left turn out of nowhere. Peter finally has a `breakthrough,' and it comes from a place that is completely unanticipated. It's a solid performance, and one of the rewards that comes from successfully navigating past Kalesniko's questionable title.Robin Wright Penn is also impressive in her role as Melanie, though it's not too much of a stretch for her artistically. But it's one of those straightforward `normal' characters that seem so easy to play they are often taken for granted (Easy? Let he among you who has acted in front of a camera without once looking at it cast the first stone). The real find here, however, is the young Hofrichter, who is endearing and totally effective as Amy, a young girl with her own challenges to overcome.The supporting cast includes Lynn Redgrave (Edna), Peter Riegert (Larry), Johnathon Schaech (Adam), Derek Kellock (Amy's Father) and Peri Gilpin (Debra). Happening upon this film is like ordering a hamburger and being served filet mignon for the same price; and it makes `How To Kill Your Neighbor's Dog' a thoroughly satisfying and fulfilling cinematic experience. Give it a try. 8/10.