‘Patrick’ Film Review: “When Canine Disobedience Goes A Little Too Far”
Is it just me or has anyone noticed the influx of dog-centric films recently? Ever since the collective weeper of 'Marley and Me' there’s been canine romps such as 'A Dog’s Purpose’, 'Hachi’, 'Show Dogs’, 'Isle of Dogs’, and of course the blantantly meme-worthy 'A Friend from Heaven’.
It appears cinephiles around the globe cannot get enough stories about man’s best friend. It should come as no surprise that that a new member of this exclusive group has strode in: 'Patrick’. Though in this sense it’s not so much a story about man’s best friend as woman’s worst enemy.
'Patrick' is the first film released under the newly reinstated Buena Vista International company after its disbanding. Deciding to tread lightly with its own style of family fun entertainment, 'Patrick' is certainly marketed to the quintessential British moviegoer. To borrow a sentiment from a fellow reviewer on Rotten Tomatoes, "the only thing missing from this screening is a serve of tea and scones". Be that as it may, the question remains whether Buena Vista's comeback foray is successful or not...
The story set up is formulaic, but fine: English teacher Sarah Francis (Beattie Edmondson) is bequethed her grandmother's prized pug, Patrick, after her death. Sarah's lifestyle and circumstance lend themselves to anything but responsible pet ownership. Through a series of exaggerated mishaps, Patrick proves himself to be a mischievious handful, ultimately resulting in Sarah being evicted.
Sarah's irritation and aggrevation towards her new canine compatriot is understandable. However, she aptly notices one silver lining: he proves himself to be, quote, "quite the babe magnet". Since acquiring Patrick, Sarah finds herself drawn to two equally charming, yet sadly under developed, suitors.
A tertiary story thread regarding Sarah partaking in a 5km fun run is woven throughout the film; yet feels inconsequencial except for a final 'twist' in the last 5-10 minutes.
It is ironic that a film that is about a pet dog seems to focus most of its attention on its owners life (which truly would only change marginally without his inclusion). True, Patrick the pug is incredibly cute and charismatic; but I found a lot of his scenes to be the dead weight of the film. Edmondson instead exudes charisma and I found myself wanting to spend more time with her and her alone. Her everyday exploits are nothing out of the ordinary, but her charming demeaning makes the time we spend with Sarah intriguing. It is a shame Edmondson's real life mother, Jennifer Saunders, is criminally underutilised. Her presence on screen is always a welcome serving of British nuttiness.
Although there are many flaws through the film (and there are a lot), I cannot deny that it is an enjoyable watching experience. Edmondson proves herself to be a charismatic protagonist who works particularly well with her main co-star (they do say never to work with children or animals - she does both here). For a lazy weekend afternoon, 'Patrick' is a fine, family friendly film to curl up with. There are just enough jokes to compliment the dog shenanigans and cuteness. I wouldn’t call it a howling success, but 'Patrick' is a tail we all can enjoy with a side of scones and a cup of tea.
⭐⭐.5
