Dangerous Companions (2005)

A wonderfully heartfelt and simply happy documentary that I highly recommend. Dangerous Companions is an incredible story about a man named Kevin Richardson who trains and cares for the wild animals at a game reserve near Johannesburg, South Africa. It is a rosy depiction of his life and relationship with the animals at the reserve.

They do a very good job at introducing the animals. You get to know the personalities of each animal pretty well. After a particular segment of one of the animals, you think that one is your favorite until you see another. You end up loving all of them and all their quirky traits.

The narrator Nick Boraine is clear, concise, and has a soothing yet energetic voice. The writing is perfect. The story is very easy to follow. You are never confused about which animal goes where and who or what or why. It's simple and effective.

There are a few sad moments but overall it's uplifting and surprisingly filled with many funny parts.

Dangerous Companions: 8.5
                 with distinction: highly underrated.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2462542/?ref_=rvi_tt

Hachi: A Dog's Tale (2009)

An absolute must for any dog lover. Another must? A box of tissue! Based on a true story of the unbreakable bond between a man and his dog. Hachi is the American remake of the Japanese movie, Hachi-ko (1987).

Richard Gere is grossly underrated and pulls you in from the moment he enters the scene. He plays Parker Wilson, a Professor at the local college who takes the train to and from work. Joan Allen is Cate Wilson, Parker's wife, who is the closest thing you're going to get to an antagonist in this film. Jason Alexander plays Carl, the train station controller. Its nostalgic to see Gere and Alexander together again on screen.

Hachi is a simplistic story so don't expect any action. Its slow moving throughout the entire movie. Parts of it are reminiscent of Benji (1974). Toward the end of the movie, there is very little dialogue. The relationship development takes a while but its necessary and worth it. The emotional connection is incredibly deep, hence the tissue. Its heartwarming and heartbreaking with bits of humor sprinkled around.

The camera views from the dog's perspective is a bit strange, but its not that often. This story is so touching, you're willing to ignore how a shiba inu turned into an akita. There's nothing more to say except, watch this movie!

On a scale of 1-10, I give Hachi: A Dog's Tale...a 9.0
                 with distinction: underrated.

Performance distinction for Richard Gere: Highly underrated.

Scene Spotlight: Cate with Hachi at the train station.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1028532/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1