“He saved the dog & the dog saved him”
The above statement pretty much sums up this heartfelt, emotional Brazilian drama now showing on Netflix. You may want to get some tissues ready, cos just like that Indian movie of many years ago, you may shed a few tears if you’re like me!
Oh! CARAMELO! What a dog!
If you’re a dog-lover, just take it from me that you’re in for a treat with this one! I do hope Amendoim (the dog who played Caramelo) got paid though cos boy did he act! My world!
SYNOPSIS: (MAY contain spoilers)
When Pedro (played by Rafael Vitti), a free spirited passionate and determined chef receives a heart wrenching diagnosis of cerebral glioma (brain cancer), his dreams shattering right before his very eyes, Caramelo, a stray dog he once rescued & gave shelter would become a beacon of hope and an anchor of happiness for him in more ways than one.
MY TAKE:
The start was somewhat all over the place but by the time the diagnosis is given to Pedro, the movie sort of takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions you never see coming.
All the actors did so well in the interpretation of their roles. Camera angles were brilliant and cinematography was great. It’s an English dubbed version of the original which is in Portuguese but the subtitling and voice over are no bother at all.
The approach to storytelling is amazing and the attention to detail is commendable. Loved the upbeat soundtracks and the touchy background sounds.
The movie which plot revolves around Pedro & Caramelo the dog also in part reflects good friendship & partnership between Laura & Luciana (the dog trainers). It also portrays how positive some persons can be in reference to Leo who was battling Testicular cancer himself.
I can’t seem to remember the Indian film this movie reminds me of
That one also involved a dog (a very emotional film, that).
LESSONS:
The lessons passed here cannot be overemphasised.
Live for today and worry less about the future cos what’s the future when you’re not alive to live it?
It’s not often the mark we leave on the world that matter but the impact we make on individual lives
Conclusively, this Hollywood style Brazilian drama with a runtime of 1hour 41minutes is entertaining, relatable, compelling, educational and also funny to watch. With a few bits and bobs of forgivable head scratching moments (especially for how unrealistically they smuggled dogs into the hospital), it was relaxing for the most parts. And least I forget, I found myself dodging cars on behalf of Caramelo…my goodness!
That was some bravery there! Super loved this!
Verdict: 7.5/10
Have you seen this? What did you think?
