82
Metascore
15 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 90Washington PostDesson ThomsonWashington PostDesson ThomsonThe chemistry between the actors, particularly between Anton and Kinnaman, is sometimes magical.
- 90Time OutTime OutWitty, touching and perceptive as he contrasts the rural village and its strange but generous-hearted eccentrics with the harsher realities of the city, Hallström makes it a seamless mix of tragedy and humour.
- 88Christian Science MonitorDavid SterrittChristian Science MonitorDavid SterrittSplendidly acted, and directed with touches of visual poetry by Lasse Hallstr"om, but a little heavy on trite sexual-awakening scenes.
- 88Miami HeraldMiami HeraldMy Life as a Dog is sad. And sweet. And sublimely funny. It shouldn't be missed. [11 Feb 1987, p.D8]
- 75Slant MagazineSlant MagazineMy Life as a Dog and its sublime vision of childhood will always be there to remind us of the filmmaker Hallström once was, and potentially could be again.
- 75TV Guide MagazineTV Guide MagazineNot just another charming film about growing up, but an expertly directed tale that takes a small, simple subject and colors it with invention and inspiration.
- 70The New York TimesVincent CanbyThe New York TimesVincent CanbyThe trouble with My Life as a Dog is that too often it imposes an alien sensibility upon the boy, requiring that he behave in a way that adults can too easily identify as charming. My Life as a Dog is a movie with a split point of view.
- 70Chicago ReaderPat GrahamChicago ReaderPat GrahamThe film rarely strays from easy likability, with Hallstrom's spare, efficient styling creating a sense of chaste northern lyric (simultaneously warm and chilly: everyone wears coats in summer) familiar from early Bergman. More unassuming mongrel than pricey pedigree, but not a bad time in all.
- 60Washington PostHal HinsonWashington PostHal HinsonThe movie has some beautifully observed moments and a generous spirit, but in the end, it's undone by its own sweetness and charm....It's just not distinctive enough to sustain your interest. A lot of the movie is routine coming-of-age stuff.