Year of the Dog [2007] Movie Reviews on CinemaClock

Some reviewers found Mike White's Year of the Dog depressing. It's actually very life-affirming and inspirational. The film is about finding your own true love, with a very open-hearted and wise view of the many diverse shapes that love can take. Molly Shannon is excellent in the central role, hitting all the right notes in her portrayal of a meek, sensitive outsider who stumbles and falls on her way to discovering a sense of purpose, her passion and her voice. It is clear that White genuinely likes and cares about people. He has an uncanny ability to understand them at a very profound and sophisticated level. All the characters are unglamorous and believable, resembling people you might meet every day. While every character has her or his moment to look silly or even repugnant, each is also shown in an act of kindness, gentleness, patience or tolerance. The uniformly strong cast easily rises to the challenge of honestly and bravely exposing the flaws in each character while still remaining sympathetic. Year of the Dog is perhaps one of the most compassionate, humane films ever made.