Lasse Halstrom has made some lovely films over the years, such as "My Life as a Dog" and "What's Eating Gilbert Grape." While "Hachi" is a nice and decent film, it just lacks anything to make it special.
The storyline is designed to pull the heartstrings, which it does, sort of, in an extremely predictable way. However, when it comes to character development and dialogue, it has all the depth of an after-school special. Between the small talk and unrealistically perfect lives of the characters, there's hardly a genuine moment.
And despite the built-in emotionally charged subject matter, it manages to have very little drama or tension, even where there ought to be. Even the most dramatic moment in the film is telegraphed by a Richard Gere soliloquy that gives away what's about to happen.
The worst aspect, I found, was the lack of any reality when it comes to animal care. It's as if no one involved in the film has ever owned or cared for a dog, and picked up all their knowledge from watching Chaplin movies or something.
It's not a terrible film, but I'd recommend it to parents who want to share a film with their young kids that has a heart and can teach them some empathy. Probably too sappy for adults, unless you prefer your films really shallow.
The storyline is designed to pull the heartstrings, which it does, sort of, in an extremely predictable way. However, when it comes to character development and dialogue, it has all the depth of an after-school special. Between the small talk and unrealistically perfect lives of the characters, there's hardly a genuine moment.
And despite the built-in emotionally charged subject matter, it manages to have very little drama or tension, even where there ought to be. Even the most dramatic moment in the film is telegraphed by a Richard Gere soliloquy that gives away what's about to happen.
The worst aspect, I found, was the lack of any reality when it comes to animal care. It's as if no one involved in the film has ever owned or cared for a dog, and picked up all their knowledge from watching Chaplin movies or something.
It's not a terrible film, but I'd recommend it to parents who want to share a film with their young kids that has a heart and can teach them some empathy. Probably too sappy for adults, unless you prefer your films really shallow.