Megan Leavey

A well-presented story about love for a dog. It's not unnecessarily melodramatic, and it doesn't aim to manipulate you needlessly, although you might wonder if it's emotionally exaggerated in places in terms of how the main character behaves. But then you realize that it is possible to love someone other than just another person. Kate Mara is very pleasant here. (27/08/2017)

A film that might not make a global splash but managed to captivate and brighten my day with its 116 minutes. I’m not sure how much the film’s storyline deviates from the real-life events, but I can understand if the creators didn’t feel the need to embellish it much. Kate Mara fully embraced her role; I believed in her emotions, and at many moments, I hoped for her reunion with Rex. The first half of the film starts slowly but surely, perfectly depicting the bond between the owner (in this case, the female) and her dog, a connection not easily broken. The dog's loyalty is just breathtaking. There aren’t many action sequences, but when the full-blown war chaos finally arrives, it's perfectly executed; I experienced the bullet whizzes around the main characters’ heads along with them. The second half hits the viewer with the emotional aspect but doesn’t cross the line into what could have been farce. Besides the performances (I was pleased with Felton’s small role; he delivered a solid performance even in those few seconds), the film also shines in its dialogues, which maintain a seriousness that’s not always a guaranteed success but was well-managed here. It's a nice war film where bloody scenes wouldn’t have fit. I give it 81%. (23/03/2018)

When Kate Mara and her dog got to Iraq, I totally thought that they made a re-make of The Hurt Locker, only with a female lead and a dog instead of a pyrotechnic. But they cut it off at the most action-packed moment and the whole story returns back to the USA, which isn’t entirely detrimental. Even then, there was something to watch. (18/03/2018)

I was expecting maybe Nicholas Winton to make an appearance at the end. Otherwise, despite the effort and fairly capable direction and dramaturgy, Megan Leavey was a losing war beforehand because the problem is the premise. The very heroine doesn't have that many film-worthy situations or relationships behind her, and she herself isn't particularly interesting. The only theme here is the role of the army dog-handlers and bringing out their abilities. But a simple heroic/biographical method based on one person isn't enough for that, and the film can't do any better. (17/11/2017)