SYNOPSIS:
A puppy comes to 14 year old Akari just when she is trying hard
to be strong after her mother fell ill. She falls in love with
the puppy immediately and names it "Socks" after its
white paw markings. Akari's mother let her keep the dog, but
made her make 10 promises to Socks. However, Akari slowly drifts
away from Socks as she grows up, until one day she remembers
the 10 promises that she made to Socks and her deceased mother.
MOVIE REVIEW:
As mentioned earlier in my DVD review of "A
Tale of Mari and her Puppies", the Japanese sure has
a penchant for puppies and dogs. From the producer of "Quill"
(for the uninitiated it’s about a Labrador Retriever
who serves as a guide dog for the visually handicapped) comes
"10 Promises for My Dog", another heart-warming
tale of a golden retriever and her owner, Akari.
The
movie opens with a 24 year old Akari recounting her past when
she was then a 14 year old school girl growing up in a closely-knit
family. Her mum is a housewife and her Dad is a surgeon who
practically missed out on Akari’s childhood as a result
of his work commitments. Before long, tragedy strikes the
family with the passing of Akari’s mum but before her
death, she wants Akari to take up the responsibilities of
dog ownership hence the 10 promises before she can adopt Socks,
the golden retriever.
The
amazing thing is you play the DVD knowing how mushy it’s
going to get or certain turn of events can be quite tear-jerky
but still, it touches the heartstrings at the end. Certain
plotting is an exact reflection of our daily life. Akari neglected
the existence of the aging Socks when she embarks on her career,
this clearly exemplifies the fact that we do neglect our love
ones when we buried ourselves in our daily routines.
We
forgot the fact that when we were young, our parents were
there for us and when they get older, we might not be there
all the time for them. We see ourselves through the eyes of
Akari and Socks. This is not a preachy movie and everything
here onscreen is so surreal yet so beautifully captured, take
for example the cherry blossoms and the generous shots of
the beaches.
I’m
greatly touched by the relationship portrayed between father
and daughter and of course the greatest cast member in the
movie that doesn’t have a line of dialogue, Socks.
Inspired
by The Ten Commandments of Dog Ownership, "10 Promises
to My Dog" is another educational, heart-warming story
that is suitable to all. From here, we learnt that dogs are
more than mere man’s best friends, they are family.
SPECIAL FEATURES :
NIL.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
No
qualms about the visual & audio and the DVD comes with
a choice of the original Japanese track and a dubbed Chinese
audio track.
MOVIE RATING:
 
DVD
RATING :
Review
by Linus Tee
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