BOTTOM LINE: “Marley & Me” has some expected cute comedy with its star dog and the family he lives with, but there is no story, no journey and no point to this movie other than providing a view of family life sugar-coated by Hollywood contrivances.

THE GOOD: A story about a man and his dog, and in particular a cute Labrador, is usually safe ground for a cute framework for the beloved canine to get up to mischief set against the backdrop of a regular family as they go through life. Essentially, that’s all “Marley & Me” is, and any dog and animal lovers will no doubt enjoy this film, particularly as the dog at the centre of the story, Marley, is from the outset established as the worst dog ever due to his disobedient nature. One particularly hilarious scene involves Marley winning out over a tough dog obedience instructor played quite brilliantly by Kathleen Turner as she tries to show her experienced superiority over dogs. A surprising aspect of this film is that although it is sugar-coated, there are still some sequences that you would not normally find in a film like this, starting with the sequences mid-way through where the otherwise happy couple go through the stresses of every marriage, a relationship aspect not usually touched upon in what is effectively a Hollywood romantic comedy. Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson are actually quite good and suited as the journalistic couple Jennifer and John Grogan. Through their performances we see as earthly a portrayal of a real couple as you can get in a film like this, with Wilson in particular offering an unusually restrained performance that is thankfully devoid of his typical brand of comedy. The dog Marley is cute of course, and is in essence why the film exists as it is. The film deserves points for trying something different by not following a traditional plot, or any plot for that matter, and it does pass the time.

THE BAD: “Marley & Me” has no real story to speak of, no real plot developments, or a plot at all. The film is essentially chronicling the life of Jennifer and John Grogan, and how their mischievous dog Marley brings them and their subsequent family together, or almost drives them apart in a sequence or two. As such, individual moments are very relatable, but as a whole, the film does not gel together as anything specific. “What’s the point?” you may find yourself asking, aside from showing off the antics of a cute dog. Showing off married life is hardly anything new, but then this is still in many ways the Hollywood version of married life; none of the arguments are ever lasting or deal-breaking, with the couple always getting back together to live happily ever after. As a result, this portrayal of married and family life is knee-capped by the filmmakers’ unwillingness to either show more conflict or heighten the monotonous yet joyful reality that comes with marriage and family. And how odd it is for me to find myself discussing the motivations of a dog, but Marley’s progression from nuisance to matured is somewhat arbitrary. We suddenly start seeing sequences where Marley is acting more responsibly, whether it is helping out the kids or the couple in whatever they need to get done or problem to solve. A very specific scene or two showing the dog actually making that progression would have made for more satisfying viewing, given how central his character is to the humans in story. “Marley & Me” is nothing beyond a cute dog, the mischief he gets in to, set against a somewhat uninspired and sugar-coated portrayal of marriage and family life.