This photo provided by CJ ENM shows a scene from the Korean film “Dog Days.” (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Jan. 25 (Korea Bizwire) — As another Lunar New Year holiday approaches, another Korean film is ready to hit the silver screens. Unfortunately, the film, ‘Dog Days,” doesn’t transcend the cliche. It, instead, settles into the predictable territory of a feel-good family movie designed for a holiday, normally a high season for the local box office.
While the film’s furry cast shines with undeniable charm, the narrative falls prey to the lazy assumption that dog movies hold universal appeal. It treks a familiar path, lacking the originality and creative spark necessary to stand out in this crowded genre.
The film opens with Min-sang (Yoo Hae-jin), an ill-tempered landlord and salaried man, becoming furious after stepping on dog excrement on his way to work, as happens every day. The culprits are stray dogs cared for by his veterinarian tenant, Jin-young (Kim Seo-hyung), who operates a clinic on the first floor of his building.
This photo provided by CJ ENM shows a scene from the Korean film “Dog Days.” (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
During one particularly heated argument with Jin-young and her customer, he encounters Min-seo (Youn Yuh-jung), a celebrated architect, and, as he soon discovers, a regular at the clinic.
In desperate need of Min-seo’s assistance to attract investors for his company’s luxury resort project, Min-sang abruptly changes his attitude and goes to great ends to be friendly to Jin-young and her mischievous dog in order to approach the architect.
After the death of her husband, the elderly Min-seo lives alone in a spacious house. She depends on food delivery services to avoid wasting food and investing time in human relationships.
Despite her gruff demeanor, her sole source of joy is spending time with her only family — her companion dog, Wanda. When the dog goes missing one day, she does everything she can to find it with help from a young food delivery guy named Jin-woo (Tang Jun-sang) who frequents her home.
This photo provided by CJ ENM shows a scene from the Korean film “Dog Days.” (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
The dog eventually ends up in the home of Seon-yong (Chung Sung-hwa), who recently adopted a daughter with his wife Jeong-ah (Kim Yun-jin). As the daughter takes care of the dog, she gradually warms up to the couple.
Seon-yong’s junior musician and band leader, Hyun (Lee Hyun-woo), meanwhile, comes to know Daniel (Daniel Henney), an ex-boyfriend of his girlfriend who is away from home, while caring for her companion dog.
This photo provided by CJ ENM shows a scene from the Korean film “Dog Days.” (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
While the film may appeal to audiences seeking a heartwarming and comfortable experience with furry companions, it does not offer anything fresh or innovative. As expected, the movie’s initially clashing characters form romantic or other relationships that revolve around dogs, ultimately leading to a happy ending for all.
If there is anything that captivates the audience besides the lovely dogs, it’s the elderly architect’s gruff yet wise advice about life. Her unlikely friendship with the young delivery guy shines through the excellent chemistry between Youn and Tang.
The movie is set to premiere in local theaters on Feb. 7.
(Yonhap)
