A Dog's Breakfast

You have to see this film. I mean what more can I say, it's just so funny your sides will split! Well written, great actors, gorgeous mutt. The perfect combination.

I was lucky enough to attend the London screening of ADB at the beginning of February 2007, with Mr David Hewlett, his sister Kate, fiancé Jane and producer John Lenic from Stargate in attendance to answer questions after the show. It was a great idea - a sort of 'book tour' for a film. Really made it into an event to remember

If it only goes straight to DVD - BUY IT! Whichever venue it is released in, do your untmost to see it.

Well done David for your directorial debut - gonna be a hit.

Roll on the next film

I had the pleasure to see the special screening in LA back in November, and I was pleasantly surprised. I thought this would be a so-so vanity project for an actor (David Hewlett), but this is one of the best comedies on film. I want to see it again because I missed bits as the laughter was so loud - and virtually continuous. It is absolutely brilliant. A Dog's Breakfast *deserves* a wide release. It's a sleeper that will make a ton of money by word of mouth. Unfortunately, I think Hollywood is allergic to intelligent films. Think "Napoleon Dynamite" but better, oh Hollywood machine!

Best of all, this film is very original - dark, but sophisticated, intelligent and good-natured. It's suitable for pretty much anyone without pandering to the lowest common denominator (i.e. no fart jokes).

David Hewlett is an underrated actor - rent the Canadian TV series "Traders" if you can - he is quite remarkable. You can also catch him in Stargate Atlantis (he can steal a scene with just his posture). I hope that "A Dog's Breakfast" gives him a wider audience. I also hope he expands his horizons as a filmmaker. Write more, please! Kate Hewlett is also very good, and this sibling pairing worked well. Kate plays the "straight man" wonderfully. She might not have a lot projects under her belt but she was equal to David on screen. She is a strong, charismatic, skilled actress. She has the chops to carry a film on her own.

David Hewlett wrote the script for this film, where he plays a slightly mentally challenged weird guy living alone and having to contend with his sister (played by his real sister) bringing a fiancée on Christmas. Some of the guys in Stargate Atlantis also helped, although only Paul McGillion has a major part.

The film is fun, a bit silly, feeling more like a 3 person play + extras rather than a movie. Its biggest problem is that the script is pretty predictable and the laughs are at the expense of a character who has enough trouble going through life as it is, without people taking advantage of his issues. Any number of things could have gone wrong in real life and that makes suspension of disbelief really difficult while watching. When you laugh, you know you laugh because you are watching a comedy, not because you are "inside"; it would be pretty scary actually feeling inside the script, otherwise.

Bottom line: I am not really the comedy type; I've watched the movie because of David Hewlett. As such I can't comment on how funny the film is. Other people might enjoy it more, I found it frustrating, but perhaps because I understood the main character a lot better than the "normals" in the film.

Made on the tightest of budgets, this blackish comedy about weirdo Patrick's frantic efforts to get rid of his sister's fiancé is remarkably funny. David Hewlett, who wrote and directed, is hilarious as resentment builds to homicidal mania, showing an unsuspected flair for slapstick and pratfalls: its a (literally!) knock-out performance. Paul McGillon (also from 'Stargate Atlantis') is a genial Ryan, the undeserving target of Patrick's frenzy, while Kate Hewlett (David's actual sister) is delightfully less demure than at first she seems. There's a bonus when Ryan's aunt turns up - but I'd better say no more!There could be a problem with a 'psycho' antihero, but Hewlett preserves a desperate charm. The dialogue is droll, the plot cleverly conceived, and when the odd joke misfires it is mainly through lack of resources. 'Much in a little', indeed!

The twisty story and hilarious characterizations made this first film of Mr. Hewlett's a pleasure to watch, Other reviewers have commented on the clever plot and terrific performances, so I won't repeat that praise here - suffice it to say that I giggled my way through the movie.

Clever costuming really added to my enjoyment of the film - just quirky enough to establish character without distracting from the story. Marilyn's dresses in particular revealed as much about her as Ms. Hewlett's entertaining performance.

Director Hewlett used wide angle shots with a stationary camera to great effect for some of the outdoor scenes without overdoing it - the choices he made really added to the mood of the film. And actor Hewlett's expressive face and hilarious delivery made Patrick a very real person instead of the caricature that he easily could have become.

One small quibble - this is NOT a horror movie! Dark comedy in the hilarious mannered style of 'The Pink Panther' or 'A Fish Called Wanda', yes. Horror? Not so much. Which is fine by me!