Citizen Dog

In the first scene, we noticed that the director must be a Jean Pierre Jeunet fan. This is not bad. I really appreciate that but there are too much coincidences and resources already seen on Amélie. It's very interesting the way the colors are used. The descriptions of the protagonists is very similar to Jeunet most popular film. It seems to me a bit long in duration but there are some scenes very laughing and gallant. Maybe this young director could find a more consistent script for his next film and not to exaggerate with some resources that are, if so much used, boring. Despite the things I described, I really enjoyed the film. I laugh in several scenes and applaud when the film was finished.

In a world of derivative, colorless copycats, this was breath of fresh air. It was a small masterpiece in my view. Simultaneously funny, strange, charming, and blissfully shocking at times.

From the very first frame I was thoroughly entertained, and the absurdity was refreshing and often wildly hilarious in it's originality.

It has an underlying sentimentality which went on a little bit long - otherwise I would have given this fantastic show a 10! Most shocking to me here however, was the fact that other comments about the film in this section show how far this went over some people's heads- and that they just didn't get it.

This film is a jewel - I want to buy it when it comes out on DVD - and the music is catchy and hilarious.

yes this movie reminds me of Amelie of a few years back but only on some of the techniques. The sardine factor reminds me of the opening scene in Joe vs. the Volcano. (Another wonderful film) And even the central story is not original, the way the director told it is absolutely fabulous. However, the story is told by a third person narrator so this may turn some people off. And I suspect there are some local sayings, plus loads of little bits of side tracks and idiosyncratic characters that I failed to understand. The movie also tries to address, or touch on many issues, some social, some environmentatl, and some personal I suspect.

I saw this at the end of a very long film fest of some very serious, slow paced, well-intentioned, low-budgeted not well-used, and on top, very personal movies. So this was a tension release for me and great fun to watch.

Also, watch for the band playing the theme song at the end when the credits roll.

Granted the setting is vastly different (contemporary Bangkok) and there's not a drop of blood to be seen, "Citizen Dog" is a brilliant sophomore work from the director of "Tears of the Black Tiger" -- one of the best and most original movies I've seen in the last ten years.

Retaining the odd color schemes in a somewhat muted form, and excellent choice of soundtracks, this movie is really a lot of fun. A large ensemble of bizarre characters completes the picture including a dead motorcycle taxi driver, an amnesiac addicted to licking things, and a talking, chain-smoking teddy bear.

Follow the adventures of Pod as he moves to Bangkok from the country, takes a number of different jobs and meets Jin, the girl of his dreams. Along the way, a number of really weird things happen and everyone gets a tail, but hey, love's like that.

Pod moves from the country to Bangkok. there he gets a job at a sardine company, meets Jin a maid with whom he falls in love,and eventually becomes a celebrity because he is the only one in the city with out a tail.(I'm leaving out the white book,the finger, the job shifts, the rain of helmets, the plastic mountain, the royal princess, tails, reincarnation and 9 or 10 other things) Off the wall fantasy romance environmental comedy with music. This is the sort of thing that could never get made in the United States and could only come out of Asia. I don't mean that as a put down, only that outside of the West people are more willing to let movies be what ever they are.

At turns charming, surreal, funny and too much this is a very wild movie. It drops you into its own little world and keeps you there. I have no idea how to describe it other than its its own animal and unlike any film that has ever been made outside of Thailand (I've seen some Thai films that are equally loopy). The music is good. the sentiment is sweet. All of the weird things that happen just seem to be taken in stride and its wonderful.

It also can be a bit overwhelming. Frankly by the time I put in the second VCD I was getting worn out. Too much whimsy for my taste. Actually its not the whimsy so much as some plot shifts that lengthen the story for no good reason (some of the environmental/Peter plot line seems to just go on) and the film seems to be running not so much in its own time but an allotted time.

If you can take the film for what it is and let it sweep over you like a tsunami then you'll probably have a good time. Definitely worth a look for those who hate the run of the mill.