My Life as a Dog

My Life as a Dog


Starring:Anton Glanzelius, Tomas von Brömssen, Anki Lidén, Melinda Kinnaman, Kicki Rundgren, Lennart Hjulström, Ing-Marie Carlsson, Leif Ericson, Christina Carlwind, Ralph Carlsson, Viveca Dahlén, Arnold Alfredson, Fritz Elofsson, Didrik Gustavsson, Jan-Philip Hollström, Vivi Johansson, Per Ottosson, Magnus Rask, Tony Rix, Manfred Serner
Director: Lasse Hallström
Studio: Fox Lorber
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
Simultaneously elegiac and raw, this uneven--but unforgettable--tearjerker tells the story of Ingemar, a 12-year-old working-class Swedish boy sent to live with his childless aunt and uncle in a country village when his mother falls ill. Beginning with several representations of the most savage, unsentimental domestic intensity imaginable (interplay between a sick parent and loving child has never looked anywhere near as explosive), My Life as a Dog wisely doesn't attempt to maintain that level of danger; rather, the change in locale to rural Sweden is accompanied by a slackening of pace and a whimsical breeziness. Nevertheless, the tragic condition of Ingemar's mother (and later, the indeterminate fate of Sickan, his beloved dog, consigned to a kennel) hovers over the narrative with a gripping portentousness. At times, director Lasse Hallström misplaces the rhythm, and the film threatens to degenerate into a series of rustic vignettes; luckily, Ingemar's relationship with Gunnar, the jocular yet somewhat sinister uncle who essentially adopts him, carries a fascinating charge. In Swedish, with subtitles. This was later rewritten, whether intentionally or not, by Spike Lee, who changed the gender of the child, set the story in New York City, added a 1970s soul soundtrack, and called it Crooklyn. --Miles Bethany
My Life as a Dog - Criterion Collection
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • My favorite movie
  • One Part Humor, One Part Poignant, One Part Disturbing
  • One of the top ten films ever made
  • One you won't forget
  • No "dog" here: this movie is terrific
My Life as a Dog - Criterion Collection
Starring: Anton Glanzelius , Tomas von Brömssen , Anki Lidén , Melinda Kinnaman , and Kicki Rundgren
Director: Lasse Hallström
Manufacturer: Criterion
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

GeneralGeneral | Art House & International | Genres | DVD | Video
SwedishSwedish | By Original Language | Art House & International | Genres | DVD | Video
SwedenSweden | By Country | Art House & International | Genres | DVD | Video
ChildrenChildren | By Theme | Art House & International | Genres | DVD | Video
Coming of AgeComing of Age | By Theme | Art House & International | Genres | DVD | Video
GeneralGeneral | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video
GeneralGeneral | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video
Hallstrom, LasseHallstrom, Lasse | ( H ) | Directors | Stores | DVD | Video
DramaDrama | Criterion Collection | Stores | DVD | Video
ComedyComedy | Criterion Collection | Stores | DVD | Video
InternationalInternational | Criterion Collection | Stores | DVD | Video
AllAll | Criterion Collection | Stores | DVD | Video
GeneralGeneral | Foreign & International | Stores | DVD | Video
SwedenSweden | European Cinema | Foreign & International | Stores | DVD | Video
Lasse HallströmLasse Hallström | By Director | Foreign & International | Stores | DVD | Video
SwedishSwedish | By Original Language | Foreign & International | Stores | DVD | Video
ChildrenChildren | By Theme | Foreign & International | Stores | DVD | Video
Coming of AgeComing of Age | By Theme | Foreign & International | Stores | DVD | Video
ComedyComedy | By Theme | Foreign & International | Stores | DVD | Video
( M )( M ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:
  1. Fanny and Alexander (Special Edition Five-Disc Set) - Criterion Collection
  2. Hope and Glory
  3. The Tin Drum - Criterion Collection
  4. Forbidden Games - Criterion Collection
  5. Cinema Paradiso (Two-Disc Deluxe Edition)

ASIN: B000087EY5
Release Date: 2003-03-11

Amazon.com

Simultaneously elegiac and raw, this uneven--but unforgettable--tearjerker tells the story of Ingemar, a 12-year-old working-class Swedish boy sent to live with his childless aunt and uncle in a country village when his mother falls ill. Beginning with several representations of the most savage, unsentimental domestic intensity imaginable (interplay between a sick parent and loving child has never looked anywhere near as explosive), My Life as a Dog wisely doesn't attempt to maintain that level of danger; rather, the change in locale to rural Sweden is accompanied by a slackening of pace and a whimsical breeziness. Nevertheless, the tragic condition of Ingemar's mother (and later, the indeterminate fate of Sickan, his beloved dog, consigned to a kennel) hovers over the narrative with a gripping portentousness. At times, director Lasse Hallström misplaces the rhythm, and the film threatens to degenerate into a series of rustic vignettes; luckily, Ingemar's relationship with Gunnar, the jocular yet somewhat sinister uncle who essentially adopts him, carries a fascinating charge. In Swedish, with subtitles. This was later rewritten, whether intentionally or not, by Spike Lee, who changed the gender of the child, set the story in New York City, added a 1970s soul soundtrack, and called it Crooklyn. --Miles Bethany

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars My favorite movie.......2006-08-09

Why is this my favorite movie? Because it simply presents life, in all its joys, griefs, paradoxes and mysteries. What puts this movie in a class by itself is the spirit of hope that runs through the movie, especially in the main character, Ingmar, whose indomitable spirit shines in the face of change and tragedy. Yet the movie never drifts into sentimentality. In the end, it's a movie about the mystery of love.

The central theme is Ingmar's "life as a dog." Like the dog that was shot into space by the Soviet's without regard to its safe return to earth, Ingmar, like most of us, seems to have been "shot into life" alone. The movie is a series of vignettes that combine in what seems to be a haphazard manner, but reflects, to my mind, the most meaningful and transcendant moments of our lives, moments that simply cannot be categorized.

These moments are funny, sad, tragic, hopeful, and above all, poignant. The scene where Ingmar boxes with his tomboy friend, ending in an embrace, defies words in its sublimity. The scene in which Ingmar's mother breaks down, is absolutely heartbreaking. And the wistful scenes of Ingmar's "marriage" to the neighbor girl, and his brother's description of intercourse to the neighborhood children, will remind you of the revelations of youth.

But there are insights into adulthood as well, as the happy-go-lucky uncle, and his happy but impish bride, contrast with the prim and glum foster parents, the perverted modern artist, and the man who is perpetually fixing his roof.

In the end, you'll be celebrating with Sweden, as Ingmar (get it?) Johanson triumphs over Floyd Patterson. Hurrah Sweden! Hurrah humanity!

5 out of 5 stars One Part Humor, One Part Poignant, One Part Disturbing.......2005-06-04

"My Life as a Dog" is a most unusual and most enjoyable movie. It is a Swedish film which I watched with the aid of subtitles. It would seem to qualify as a "coming of age" movie because it is about a 12 year old boy and his learning about sex and human fraility. Yet there is so much more to the story that it seems wrong to limit its' definition.

I missed the first couple of minutes of the movie but I doubt that there was some grandiose explanation as to what was about to transpire. What I saw was the story of a 12 year old boy (Ingemar) whose mother is ill enough that it affects their relationship. (His father is not a part of his life). At times she is his best friend and at times she is his worst enemy (with his brother a close second). Maybe that strikes us somewhat of our own relationships with our parents at that age. However, this relationship seems well beyond the ordinary. Ingemar has a child's normal curiosity and he seems to always being doing the wrong thing; usually as a result of something his brother did. This strains his mother's frail health. At one point, the mother needs so much peace and quiet that Ingemar is sent to live with his uncle up north. There the movie takes a turn for the better from our perspective. His uncle is a happy-go-lucky fellow who takes Ingemar under his wing. Ingemar makes many friends and seems to be having such a good time that we think it's too bad that he has to return home to mama after a few months. However, the director lets us know that home is where Ingemar's heart is. His heart is also with his dog who was sent to the kennel when Ingemar left for the summer. Well, enough of the plot.

The many scenes throughout the movie are well written directed and acted. Sometimes the movie seems more of a sequence of scenes rather than a movie with a theme. However, the theme is there and it was the title of the movie that helped me see it. Ingemar has a number of scenes where he shares his youthful thoughts and observations. He is fascinated by Laitka, the Russian dog who went up in space (this movie takes place around the late 1950's). He understood Laitka to have died because the Russians did not send along enough food or make any arrangements for his return; they just used him for their purposes and then were done with him. I understood this to be Ingemar's life to that point. He was brought into the world without any proper provisions for sufficient love and nurturing. His future is unplanned as he is sent to wherever he'll fit in without any real concern as to what best for him. Ultimately, there is no place for him to return to.

This is an excellent movie that combines a great script, excellent directing, and very good acting. The cast is all new to me and they were well-assembled. There are a lot of unusual characters that give the movie a special sort of seaoning.

"My Life as a Dog" is not a depressing movie. Rather, there is hope as the movie leaves us knowing that Ingemar has lost his two best friends in the world but has just discovered that he is starting to find some replacements.

5 out of 5 stars One of the top ten films ever made.......2005-05-30

This movie tugs at your heart strings in a completely honest way. The movie does not patronise or make pathetic the boy hero who has to endure. It is the very opposite of saccharine glop.

It is a profoundly optimistic and yet realistic movie. The movie is peppered with memorable eccentric and kind characters.


5 out of 5 stars One you won't forget.......2005-05-04

This movie is tragic and charming, a strange dichotemy that works well. The connection the boy feels to Laika, the abandoned Russian space dog, is painfully on target, and fuels the movie. I did a project on this movie for a film class I had in college. I've seen it several times, and each time enjoyed it, despite the weird sexual stuff that seems to spring up every so often. It's not a vulgar movie by any means, just honest. If you have a brain in your head, you'll enjoy it. Trust me.

5 out of 5 stars No "dog" here: this movie is terrific.......2005-03-28

This is a neat little movie about a 12-year-old boy (Anton Glanzelius) who tries to make sense of his mother's terminal illness, death in general, and a world full of change. He tries to cheer his mother up as best he can, but she is too far gone to really notice or care. His fondest memories are times spent at the beach with her when she was healthier and their times together were better. As a coming-of-age movie, sex plays an important (and confusing) part for the boy, from the old bedridden man in the upstairs apartment who likes him to read the lingerie ads to him, to the tomboy who is the best soccer player on his team and keeps trying to show him her breasts. The movie is full of wonderful, insightful touches. Glanzelius is marvelous. A real gem of a movie.
My Life as a Dog
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • My favorite movie
  • One Part Humor, One Part Poignant, One Part Disturbing
  • One of the top ten films ever made
  • One you won't forget
  • No "dog" here: this movie is terrific
My Life as a Dog
Starring: Anton Glanzelius , Tomas von Brömssen , Anki Lidén , Melinda Kinnaman , and Kicki Rundgren
Director: Lasse Hallström
Manufacturer: Fox Lorber
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

GeneralGeneral | Art House & International | Genres | DVD | Video
SwedishSwedish | By Original Language | Art House & International | Genres | DVD | Video
SwedenSweden | By Country | Art House & International | Genres | DVD | Video
ChildrenChildren | By Theme | Art House & International | Genres | DVD | Video
Coming of AgeComing of Age | By Theme | Art House & International | Genres | DVD | Video
GeneralGeneral | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video
Hallstrom, LasseHallstrom, Lasse | ( H ) | Directors | Stores | DVD | Video
GeneralGeneral | Foreign & International | Stores | DVD | Video
SwedenSweden | European Cinema | Foreign & International | Stores | DVD | Video
Lasse HallströmLasse Hallström | By Director | Foreign & International | Stores | DVD | Video
SwedishSwedish | By Original Language | Foreign & International | Stores | DVD | Video
ChildrenChildren | By Theme | Foreign & International | Stores | DVD | Video
Coming of AgeComing of Age | By Theme | Foreign & International | Stores | DVD | Video
ComedyComedy | By Theme | Foreign & International | Stores | DVD | Video
( M )( M ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:
  1. Fanny and Alexander (Special Edition Five-Disc Set) - Criterion Collection
  2. Hope and Glory
  3. The Tin Drum - Criterion Collection
  4. Forbidden Games - Criterion Collection
  5. Cinema Paradiso (Two-Disc Deluxe Edition)

ASIN: 6305228868
Release Date: 1999-02-23

Amazon.com

Simultaneously elegiac and raw, this uneven--but unforgettable--tearjerker tells the story of Ingemar, a 12-year-old working-class Swedish boy sent to live with his childless aunt and uncle in a country village when his mother falls ill. Beginning with several representations of the most savage, unsentimental domestic intensity imaginable (interplay between a sick parent and loving child has never looked anywhere near as explosive), My Life as a Dog wisely doesn't attempt to maintain that level of danger; rather, the change in locale to rural Sweden is accompanied by a slackening of pace and a whimsical breeziness. Nevertheless, the tragic condition of Ingemar's mother (and later, the indeterminate fate of Sickan, his beloved dog, consigned to a kennel) hovers over the narrative with a gripping portentousness. At times, director Lasse Hallström misplaces the rhythm, and the film threatens to degenerate into a series of rustic vignettes; luckily, Ingemar's relationship with Gunnar, the jocular yet somewhat sinister uncle who essentially adopts him, carries a fascinating charge. In Swedish, with subtitles. This was later rewritten, whether intentionally or not, by Spike Lee, who changed the gender of the child, set the story in New York City, added a 1970s soul soundtrack, and called it Crooklyn. --Miles Bethany

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars My favorite movie.......2006-08-09

Why is this my favorite movie? Because it simply presents life, in all its joys, griefs, paradoxes and mysteries. What puts this movie in a class by itself is the spirit of hope that runs through the movie, especially in the main character, Ingmar, whose indomitable spirit shines in the face of change and tragedy. Yet the movie never drifts into sentimentality. In the end, it's a movie about the mystery of love.

The central theme is Ingmar's "life as a dog." Like the dog that was shot into space by the Soviet's without regard to its safe return to earth, Ingmar, like most of us, seems to have been "shot into life" alone. The movie is a series of vignettes that combine in what seems to be a haphazard manner, but reflects, to my mind, the most meaningful and transcendant moments of our lives, moments that simply cannot be categorized.

These moments are funny, sad, tragic, hopeful, and above all, poignant. The scene where Ingmar boxes with his tomboy friend, ending in an embrace, defies words in its sublimity. The scene in which Ingmar's mother breaks down, is absolutely heartbreaking. And the wistful scenes of Ingmar's "marriage" to the neighbor girl, and his brother's description of intercourse to the neighborhood children, will remind you of the revelations of youth.

But there are insights into adulthood as well, as the happy-go-lucky uncle, and his happy but impish bride, contrast with the prim and glum foster parents, the perverted modern artist, and the man who is perpetually fixing his roof.

In the end, you'll be celebrating with Sweden, as Ingmar (get it?) Johanson triumphs over Floyd Patterson. Hurrah Sweden! Hurrah humanity!

5 out of 5 stars One Part Humor, One Part Poignant, One Part Disturbing.......2005-06-04

"My Life as a Dog" is a most unusual and most enjoyable movie. It is a Swedish film which I watched with the aid of subtitles. It would seem to qualify as a "coming of age" movie because it is about a 12 year old boy and his learning about sex and human fraility. Yet there is so much more to the story that it seems wrong to limit its' definition.

I missed the first couple of minutes of the movie but I doubt that there was some grandiose explanation as to what was about to transpire. What I saw was the story of a 12 year old boy (Ingemar) whose mother is ill enough that it affects their relationship. (His father is not a part of his life). At times she is his best friend and at times she is his worst enemy (with his brother a close second). Maybe that strikes us somewhat of our own relationships with our parents at that age. However, this relationship seems well beyond the ordinary. Ingemar has a child's normal curiosity and he seems to always being doing the wrong thing; usually as a result of something his brother did. This strains his mother's frail health. At one point, the mother needs so much peace and quiet that Ingemar is sent to live with his uncle up north. There the movie takes a turn for the better from our perspective. His uncle is a happy-go-lucky fellow who takes Ingemar under his wing. Ingemar makes many friends and seems to be having such a good time that we think it's too bad that he has to return home to mama after a few months. However, the director lets us know that home is where Ingemar's heart is. His heart is also with his dog who was sent to the kennel when Ingemar left for the summer. Well, enough of the plot.

The many scenes throughout the movie are well written directed and acted. Sometimes the movie seems more of a sequence of scenes rather than a movie with a theme. However, the theme is there and it was the title of the movie that helped me see it. Ingemar has a number of scenes where he shares his youthful thoughts and observations. He is fascinated by Laitka, the Russian dog who went up in space (this movie takes place around the late 1950's). He understood Laitka to have died because the Russians did not send along enough food or make any arrangements for his return; they just used him for their purposes and then were done with him. I understood this to be Ingemar's life to that point. He was brought into the world without any proper provisions for sufficient love and nurturing. His future is unplanned as he is sent to wherever he'll fit in without any real concern as to what best for him. Ultimately, there is no place for him to return to.

This is an excellent movie that combines a great script, excellent directing, and very good acting. The cast is all new to me and they were well-assembled. There are a lot of unusual characters that give the movie a special sort of seaoning.

"My Life as a Dog" is not a depressing movie. Rather, there is hope as the movie leaves us knowing that Ingemar has lost his two best friends in the world but has just discovered that he is starting to find some replacements.

5 out of 5 stars One of the top ten films ever made.......2005-05-30

This movie tugs at your heart strings in a completely honest way. The movie does not patronise or make pathetic the boy hero who has to endure. It is the very opposite of saccharine glop.

It is a profoundly optimistic and yet realistic movie. The movie is peppered with memorable eccentric and kind characters.


5 out of 5 stars One you won't forget.......2005-05-04

This movie is tragic and charming, a strange dichotemy that works well. The connection the boy feels to Laika, the abandoned Russian space dog, is painfully on target, and fuels the movie. I did a project on this movie for a film class I had in college. I've seen it several times, and each time enjoyed it, despite the weird sexual stuff that seems to spring up every so often. It's not a vulgar movie by any means, just honest. If you have a brain in your head, you'll enjoy it. Trust me.

5 out of 5 stars No "dog" here: this movie is terrific.......2005-03-28

This is a neat little movie about a 12-year-old boy (Anton Glanzelius) who tries to make sense of his mother's terminal illness, death in general, and a world full of change. He tries to cheer his mother up as best he can, but she is too far gone to really notice or care. His fondest memories are times spent at the beach with her when she was healthier and their times together were better. As a coming-of-age movie, sex plays an important (and confusing) part for the boy, from the old bedridden man in the upstairs apartment who likes him to read the lingerie ads to him, to the tomboy who is the best soccer player on his team and keeps trying to show him her breasts. The movie is full of wonderful, insightful touches. Glanzelius is marvelous. A real gem of a movie.
My Life as a Dog [Region 2]
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • My favorite movie
  • One Part Humor, One Part Poignant, One Part Disturbing
  • One of the top ten films ever made
  • One you won't forget
  • No "dog" here: this movie is terrific
My Life as a Dog [Region 2]
Starring: Anton Glanzelius , Tomas von Brömssen , Anki Lidén , Melinda Kinnaman , and Kicki Rundgren
Director: Lasse Hallström
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

GeneralGeneral | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video
SwedishSwedish | By Original Language | Art House & International | Genres | DVD | Video
Hallstrom, LasseHallstrom, Lasse | ( H ) | Directors | Stores | DVD | Video
Used DVDsUsed DVDs | Stores | DVD | Video | Action & Adventure | African American Cinema | Animation | Anime & Manga | Art House & International | Classics | Comedy | Cult Movies | Documentary | Drama | Educational | Fitness & Yoga | Gay & Lesbian | Horror | Kids & Family | Military & War | Music Video & Concerts | Musicals & Performing Arts | Mystery & Suspense | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Special Interests | Sports | Television | Westerns
Lasse HallströmLasse Hallström | By Director | Foreign & International | Stores | DVD | Video
SwedishSwedish | By Original Language | Foreign & International | Stores | DVD | Video
( M )( M ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:
  1. Fanny and Alexander (Special Edition Five-Disc Set) - Criterion Collection
  2. Hope and Glory
  3. The Tin Drum - Criterion Collection
  4. Forbidden Games - Criterion Collection
  5. Cinema Paradiso (Two-Disc Deluxe Edition)

ASIN: B00005B73K

Amazon.com

Simultaneously elegiac and raw, this uneven--but unforgettable--tearjerker tells the story of Ingemar, a 12-year-old working-class Swedish boy sent to live with his childless aunt and uncle in a country village when his mother falls ill. Beginning with several representations of the most savage, unsentimental domestic intensity imaginable (interplay between a sick parent and loving child has never looked anywhere near as explosive), My Life as a Dog wisely doesn't attempt to maintain that level of danger; rather, the change in locale to rural Sweden is accompanied by a slackening of pace and a whimsical breeziness. Nevertheless, the tragic condition of Ingemar's mother (and later, the indeterminate fate of Sickan, his beloved dog, consigned to a kennel) hovers over the narrative with a gripping portentousness. At times, director Lasse Hallström misplaces the rhythm, and the film threatens to degenerate into a series of rustic vignettes; luckily, Ingemar's relationship with Gunnar, the jocular yet somewhat sinister uncle who essentially adopts him, carries a fascinating charge. In Swedish, with subtitles. This was later rewritten, whether intentionally or not, by Spike Lee, who changed the gender of the child, set the story in New York City, added a 1970s soul soundtrack, and called it Crooklyn. --Miles Bethany

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars My favorite movie.......2006-08-09

Why is this my favorite movie? Because it simply presents life, in all its joys, griefs, paradoxes and mysteries. What puts this movie in a class by itself is the spirit of hope that runs through the movie, especially in the main character, Ingmar, whose indomitable spirit shines in the face of change and tragedy. Yet the movie never drifts into sentimentality. In the end, it's a movie about the mystery of love.

The central theme is Ingmar's "life as a dog." Like the dog that was shot into space by the Soviet's without regard to its safe return to earth, Ingmar, like most of us, seems to have been "shot into life" alone. The movie is a series of vignettes that combine in what seems to be a haphazard manner, but reflects, to my mind, the most meaningful and transcendant moments of our lives, moments that simply cannot be categorized.

These moments are funny, sad, tragic, hopeful, and above all, poignant. The scene where Ingmar boxes with his tomboy friend, ending in an embrace, defies words in its sublimity. The scene in which Ingmar's mother breaks down, is absolutely heartbreaking. And the wistful scenes of Ingmar's "marriage" to the neighbor girl, and his brother's description of intercourse to the neighborhood children, will remind you of the revelations of youth.

But there are insights into adulthood as well, as the happy-go-lucky uncle, and his happy but impish bride, contrast with the prim and glum foster parents, the perverted modern artist, and the man who is perpetually fixing his roof.

In the end, you'll be celebrating with Sweden, as Ingmar (get it?) Johanson triumphs over Floyd Patterson. Hurrah Sweden! Hurrah humanity!

5 out of 5 stars One Part Humor, One Part Poignant, One Part Disturbing.......2005-06-04

"My Life as a Dog" is a most unusual and most enjoyable movie. It is a Swedish film which I watched with the aid of subtitles. It would seem to qualify as a "coming of age" movie because it is about a 12 year old boy and his learning about sex and human fraility. Yet there is so much more to the story that it seems wrong to limit its' definition.

I missed the first couple of minutes of the movie but I doubt that there was some grandiose explanation as to what was about to transpire. What I saw was the story of a 12 year old boy (Ingemar) whose mother is ill enough that it affects their relationship. (His father is not a part of his life). At times she is his best friend and at times she is his worst enemy (with his brother a close second). Maybe that strikes us somewhat of our own relationships with our parents at that age. However, this relationship seems well beyond the ordinary. Ingemar has a child's normal curiosity and he seems to always being doing the wrong thing; usually as a result of something his brother did. This strains his mother's frail health. At one point, the mother needs so much peace and quiet that Ingemar is sent to live with his uncle up north. There the movie takes a turn for the better from our perspective. His uncle is a happy-go-lucky fellow who takes Ingemar under his wing. Ingemar makes many friends and seems to be having such a good time that we think it's too bad that he has to return home to mama after a few months. However, the director lets us know that home is where Ingemar's heart is. His heart is also with his dog who was sent to the kennel when Ingemar left for the summer. Well, enough of the plot.

The many scenes throughout the movie are well written directed and acted. Sometimes the movie seems more of a sequence of scenes rather than a movie with a theme. However, the theme is there and it was the title of the movie that helped me see it. Ingemar has a number of scenes where he shares his youthful thoughts and observations. He is fascinated by Laitka, the Russian dog who went up in space (this movie takes place around the late 1950's). He understood Laitka to have died because the Russians did not send along enough food or make any arrangements for his return; they just used him for their purposes and then were done with him. I understood this to be Ingemar's life to that point. He was brought into the world without any proper provisions for sufficient love and nurturing. His future is unplanned as he is sent to wherever he'll fit in without any real concern as to what best for him. Ultimately, there is no place for him to return to.

This is an excellent movie that combines a great script, excellent directing, and very good acting. The cast is all new to me and they were well-assembled. There are a lot of unusual characters that give the movie a special sort of seaoning.

"My Life as a Dog" is not a depressing movie. Rather, there is hope as the movie leaves us knowing that Ingemar has lost his two best friends in the world but has just discovered that he is starting to find some replacements.

5 out of 5 stars One of the top ten films ever made.......2005-05-30

This movie tugs at your heart strings in a completely honest way. The movie does not patronise or make pathetic the boy hero who has to endure. It is the very opposite of saccharine glop.

It is a profoundly optimistic and yet realistic movie. The movie is peppered with memorable eccentric and kind characters.


5 out of 5 stars One you won't forget.......2005-05-04

This movie is tragic and charming, a strange dichotemy that works well. The connection the boy feels to Laika, the abandoned Russian space dog, is painfully on target, and fuels the movie. I did a project on this movie for a film class I had in college. I've seen it several times, and each time enjoyed it, despite the weird sexual stuff that seems to spring up every so often. It's not a vulgar movie by any means, just honest. If you have a brain in your head, you'll enjoy it. Trust me.

5 out of 5 stars No "dog" here: this movie is terrific.......2005-03-28

This is a neat little movie about a 12-year-old boy (Anton Glanzelius) who tries to make sense of his mother's terminal illness, death in general, and a world full of change. He tries to cheer his mother up as best he can, but she is too far gone to really notice or care. His fondest memories are times spent at the beach with her when she was healthier and their times together were better. As a coming-of-age movie, sex plays an important (and confusing) part for the boy, from the old bedridden man in the upstairs apartment who likes him to read the lingerie ads to him, to the tomboy who is the best soccer player on his team and keeps trying to show him her breasts. The movie is full of wonderful, insightful touches. Glanzelius is marvelous. A real gem of a movie.
My Life As A Dog [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - Great Britain ]
Average customer rating: Not rated
    My Life As A Dog [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - Great Britain ]
    Director: Lasse Hallstrom
    Manufacturer: Momentum
    ProductGroup: DVD
    Binding: DVD

    GeneralGeneral | Art House & International | Genres | DVD | Video
    Used DVDsUsed DVDs | Stores | DVD | Video | Action & Adventure | African American Cinema | Animation | Anime & Manga | Art House & International | Classics | Comedy | Cult Movies | Documentary | Drama | Educational | Fitness & Yoga | Gay & Lesbian | Horror | Kids & Family | Military & War | Music Video & Concerts | Musicals & Performing Arts | Mystery & Suspense | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Special Interests | Sports | Television | Westerns
    GeneralGeneral | Foreign & International | Stores | DVD | Video
    ASIN: B000AHZ436

    Product Description

    Great Britain released, PAL/Region 2 DVD: it WILL NOT play on standard US DVD player. You need multi-region PAL/NTSC DVD player to view it in USA/Canada. Languages: o English (subtitles) o Swedish (Dolby Digital 2.0) Synopsis: It's no mistake that the main character in Mitt Luv Som Hund (1985) is named Ingemar Johansson: the film is set in the same year, 1959, that a Swedish boxer of the same name won the world heavyweight champion title from Floyd Patterson. Like his namesake, the film's fictional boy named Ingemar Johansson (Anton Glanzelius) is also a scrappy fighter, both literally and metaphorically. Ingemar climbs into the ring to learn boxing (only to be resoundingly beaten by a girl and thus experience his first sexual impulses) but his primary struggles are with poverty, neglect and abuse, challenges he faces by using his vivid imagination. Rather than being off-putting, the humorous, almost nostalgic tone of Mitt Luv Som Hund blends surprisingly well with the film's frank, dark story and situations, leaving a disquieting but simultaneously funny impression, a tribute to the skill with which the film is rendered by director Lasse Hallstrom. One of the most acclaimed films of 1985 and a success with underdog-loving American audiences at urban art house venues, Mitt Liv Som Hund won Best Foreign Language Film awards from the New York Film Critics Circle and the Golden Globes, as well as earning Oscar nominations for the script and Hallstrom. Its success propelled the largely unknown Swedish director to international prominence, after over a decade as a filmmaker of romantic comedies and one concert film, ABBA: The Movie (1977). The comedy-drama fit snugly into Hallstrom's preferred type of material, which typically dealt with social iconoclasts struggling to achieve happiness in spite of their eccentricities which, as fondly depicted by the director, are almost always much less bizarre than those of their "normal" peers.
    My Life as a Dog (Import)
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      My Life as a Dog (Import)

      ProductGroup: DVD
      Binding: DVD

      GenresGenres | DVD | Video | Action & Adventure | African American Cinema | Animation | Anime & Manga | Art House & International | Classics | Comedy | Cult Movies | Documentary | Drama | Educational | Fitness & Yoga | Gay & Lesbian | Horror | Kids & Family | Military & War | Music Video & Concerts | Musicals & Performing Arts | Mystery & Suspense | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Special Interests | Sports | Television | Westerns
      DVDs Under $14.99DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video
      Used DVDsUsed DVDs | Stores | DVD | Video | Action & Adventure | African American Cinema | Animation | Anime & Manga | Art House & International | Classics | Comedy | Cult Movies | Documentary | Drama | Educational | Fitness & Yoga | Gay & Lesbian | Horror | Kids & Family | Military & War | Music Video & Concerts | Musicals & Performing Arts | Mystery & Suspense | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Special Interests | Sports | Television | Westerns
      Product Features:
      • child
      • children
      • death
      • parent
      • Sweden

      ASIN: B000E7T604

      Product Description

      Brand new, factory sealed DVD manufactured in South Korean. NTSC format. Can be played on any North American DVD player. In attractive slipcase. Can be watched with original Swedish language dialog with optional English or Korean subtitles OR you can watch a dubbed English version without subtitles. All this on one DVD. The following review appeared for the VHS version: "Amazon.com Simultaneously elegiac and raw, this uneven--but unforgettable--tearjerker tells the story of Ingemar, a 12-year-old working-class Swedish boy sent to live with his childless aunt and uncle in a country village when his mother falls ill. Beginning with several representations of the most savage, unsentimental domestic intensity imaginable (interplay between a sick parent and loving child has never looked anywhere near as explosive), My Life as a Dog wisely doesn't attempt to maintain that level of danger; rather, the change in locale to rural Sweden is accompanied by a slackening of pace and a whimsical breeziness. Nevertheless, the tragic condition of Ingemar's mother (and later, the indeterminate fate of Sickan, his beloved dog, consigned to a kennel) hovers over the narrative with a gripping portentousness. At times, director Lasse Hallström misplaces the rhythm, and the film threatens to degenerate into a series of rustic vignettes; luckily, Ingemar's relationship with Gunnar, the jocular yet somewhat sinister uncle who essentially adopts him, carries a fascinating charge. In Swedish, with subtitles. This was later rewritten, whether intentionally or not, by Spike Lee, who changed the gender of the child, set the story in New York City, added a 1970s soul soundtrack, and called it Crooklyn. --Miles Bethany".

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