Protraph Lack of good storyline.

Ghoulumbe Better than most people think

KnotStronger This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

Gurlyndrobb While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

alohahome "When a man's best friend is a dog, that dog has a problem."(from the opening credits)This basically unknown oddball Independent film is an entertaining dark comedy. It's rated R mainly because of off color language and some sexual situations, which are hardly graphic. Underneath, this film is ultimately good natured at its core. A shrink tells a young writer named Solo, who's troubled and lonely, to try owning a pet to aid his therapy, so he hesitantly gets a "so ugly it's cute" puppy from the pet shop at the local mall. He's totally clueless on how to care for it. However, from that day forward he is never the same again. Suddenly and unaccountably, everyone he encounters becomes smitten by his puppy, who's the real star in this feature. The themes hinge on lost hope and looking for love and connection in a confusing world. Solo happens to meet a pretty woman who, unexpectedly, is also troubled and lonely. Aside from the language, this is a surprisingly charming and quirky little film involving lost souls who meet a dog that inadvertently leads him to some answers about their plight in life. This is lighthearted fun but not exactly a family or children's movie. The ending is touching and sweet. Dog owners in particular will get a real kick out of this film.

drh-8 Maybe we Aussies just have a totally different sense of humour and therein my lie the only problem here. I have a database of all the DVDs I own (including those received as gifts - which this was) and so, when entering a new one, I always refer to IMDb for such info as genre, runtime, director, leads etc. When entering this, I noted that it was a comedy and so I decided to watch it at a time when I wanted something light and a good laugh. Well, it was neither! There were absolutely NO laughs at all and an inordinate amount of gratuitous profanity (are there REALLY radio announcers allowed to broadcast the sort of filth that Steve Jones dishes out? What if a decent child happened to tune to his station?).Rather than enjoy a good laugh (or even a little giggle) I found the whole thing thoroughly depressing. I have given it 3 out of 10 but, to be honest, I don't know what those 3 are for! I suppose the basics of lighting and sound weren't too bad! We have an ostensibly stone-broke loser (Giovanni Ribisi) who still seems to be able to drive a reasonable car (who pays for the fuel?) and live in what could be a nice apartment (who pays his rent?) Given the opportunity of forming what might have been some sort of meaningful relationship with what turned out to be a nice girl, he even blew that! Perhaps it was she (Lynn Collins) who earned this movie the 3 points! The fact that she works as a stripper rather than a hairdresser is one of the few aspects of this movie that makes sense ("I make as much in one night doing this as I do in two weeks' hairdressing").Unless you want to get depressed and bored to the teeth, forget it!

Kevin This must rate with the worst films I have ever seen. It just wasn't funny. My wife fell asleep. I suppose if you are the sort of person who goes all gooey eyed at the sight of a dog then it may do something for you. If you expect a comedy film to have some humour in it then you will be disappointed unless you find an English radio announcer saying the f word a lot hilarious. The strippers in the club kept their underwear on so there wasn't even a bit of nudity to relieve the boredom. What did happen in the strip club made no sense at all. There was a great deal of mumbling by the lead character with whom I developed no sympathy at all. Mena Suvari was hardly in the film, presumably just there to make people think it was a serious attempt at producing a film. The bad guys were unconvincing and carried as much menace as a dead sheep.

AudioFileZ This indie movie, about as deep as a puddle, is quite entertaining. Good dialog by Scott Cann and a "spot-on" cast led by Giovanni Ribisi carry the weight. Credit Ribisi with a deft comedic characterization of a mentally brittle writer, named Solo, on the brink of a meltdown.Solo has spent the last year in therapy five days a week with his doctor (played by Don Cheadle). He informs the doctor that since he is totally broke he is ready to face the world again. Since the doctor knows that isn't possible he decides to force him to face up to a measure of responsibility, albeit on a smaller scale: He suggests that Solo should get a pet.Solo and his skirt chasing photographer friend, Casper played by director/writer Scott Cann, go shopping for a dog. Just as they approach the pet store Casper has to chase a young woman that smiles his way...Leaving Solo to choose his pet, well solo. The "mutt" he chooses is the type no self respecting male would ever be seen with, let alone purchase. Since Solo is basking in his own mental pathos, unable to take charge of himself, the addition of this totally dependent dog is about to make things much worse.Fun, though unlikely characters intersect through the mess that Solo and "dog" create. Strangely, when he thinks his dog has been kidnapped Solo quits being passive. He becomes decisive and is able to shed his "victim mentality". Throughout the movie he has always been co-dependent on something...his doctor at first and then the dog last. Near the end, after he's found the lost dog, he knows what he now has to do in order to be heal. He has to get back to his love which is writing. Though he wants a relationship with Lola, a stripper he finds to be anything but the stereotypical whore he imagines a stripper must be, he knows that like a recovering addict he's not ready. This is another sign that he's finished with co-dependency. When he stops to tell Lola he is leaving for Mexico he offers her "Spot" which is the name he finally gave the dog. Bittersweet, she accepts the dog and they part. A final shot shows Solo, seemingly happy living in a cheap Mexican motel because he's found his muse once more. He is just outside the doorway because he heard something. As he looks down he sees "Spot" who like his master has found his way home. Great ending to a silly shallow entertaining movie. My only question is did Spot get there on his own or is Lola there too?!