Shaggy dog tale isn't a patch on the book

Mar 15 2009 Mickey Mcmonagle

MARLEY & ME (PG) ***

If you manage to sit dry-eyed through this film's sad ending, I suggest you visit a doctor, or a shop that sells souls.

But I still found it didn't do justice to the book it was adapted from. The film focuses less on Marley, a terribly behaved dog, than on the couple who own him.

Perhaps I am too big a fan of the book - a real-life account by columnist John Grogan of the life of his truly nuts labrador - to accept the inevitable changes but to me it seems the essence of the story has been shunted aside.

Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston are John and Jenny Grogan, newlyweds making a life together in the Florida sun.

She mentions kids so - on the advice of his cliched, bachelor-party boy, best friend - John buys her a puppy instead.

The pup proceeds to destroy their garage and shred a pillow within his first 24 hours. And things are only going to get worse.

The film zooms through 15 or so years, skimming over key moments from the book - those who have read it will know them when they see them...and groan. Some of the comic moments of the book are there but only just and as asides. The overall feel is a fairly weighty drama, yet one where nothing of major consequence happens.

Ultimately it's a story about how a crazed dog is a constant loving element in the life of a family but I was disappointed.

HUSH (15) ****

This quirky horror promises little but delivers plenty. We all know how terrible a rainbattered motorway can be but young couple Zakes and Beth are about to discover there's worse than dodgy service stations and traffic.

A lorry cuts them up and the door swings open to show a glimpse of a tied-up, caged woman inside. Great fun, darkly comic at times and packed with twists and thrills.

BRONSON (18) ***

Hardly Saturday night date movie stuff, this biopic of Charles Bronson - the imprisoned British nutjob rather than the old codger actor - will no doubt find an audience among those lads who enjoy gangster films.

There's the expected dark edge but also a surprising comic touch and Tom Hardy is superb in the title role.