AWARD WINNING REELS
AWARD WINNING REELS
  • Home
  • DIY Reel Tutorial
  • Demo Reels
    • Demo Reel Production
    • Actor Demo Reel Editing
    • Host Demo Reel Editing
    • Specialty Reel Editing
    • Free Demo Reel Tips
  • Video Services
    • Video Production
    • Video Editing
  • FAQ
  • Rates
    • Reel Production Rates
    • Video Editing Rates
    • Video Production Rates
    • Demo Reel Editing Rates
  • About
  • Contact

BLOG

MAX: A Review by Gatsby the AWR Mascot

7/23/2015

0 Comments

 
By Anastasia Roussel
Picture
MAX:
A Review by Gatsby the WSF mascot



Some people have described Max as heartwarming and colorful, but I could have sworn I saw it in black and white – maybe it’s just me. To be perfectly honest, this family movie about a boy and his dog didn’t exactly have me wagging my tail when I left the theater.  It wasn’t terrible, but it could have been much better. The premise felt new and exciting. Max, a military dog with posttraumatic stress disorder is taken in by the rebellious younger brother of the deceased soldier who handled him in Iraq. But instead of sticking to that premise, the filmmakers decided to turn the film into a farfetched action film that feels like Home Alone meets Lassie but takes itself too seriously to realize its all a bit silly.    

Without a doubt, the highlight of the movie is it’s leading thespian, Carlos, a Belgian Malinois who plays the lead character of Max. I haven’t seen that much charisma in an actor since I saw Chris the dog take on the role of Beethoven in the family classic of the same name (how the Academy over looked him for the Leading Actor award still puzzles me to this day.) Carlos is delightfully athletic, emotional, powerful, and yet vulnerable in his portrayal of Max. I just wished he had given Lauren Graham a few pointers. Graham, who played the boy’s mother and was previously seen starring in The Gilmore Girls, delivers a performance that is tragically opposite of that of Carlos. Close to the ending of the movie, she gives a speech to some policemen and the music behind her words tells us that we should be inspired, but I really just felt like saying “Okay… moving on…” The rest of the cast was decent, nothing outstanding, though the two Rottweilers who portrayed Max’s nemeses were also incredibly physical and menacing. Between us though, I think I could have taken them.      

Max is a film with very good intentions that attempts to honor the men, women, and dogs who put their lives at risk in order to serve their country - I didn’t even know we, dogs, could suffer from PTSD, that was very interesting to learn.  But I believe the movie suffers from a mild identity crisis. It doesn’t know if it’s a drama or a family fun movie. So the fun feels a bit tragic and the drama feels a bit silly.  It’s a movie I might rent for a few dollars but wouldn’t break the wallet to take the whole family to the theater to see.  I give it two-and-a-half barks out of five. 


Tailpiece - An Afterword…


Friends, this was Gatsby’s last movie review for his blog “Gatsby’s Corner”. Our beloved Gatsby passed away during surgery to remove a tumor in his stomach on Saturday 7/18/15 around 4:30pm. Though we knew the risks it came as a shock to us all, even his surgeon and doctors. We had a whole team of healers in place to help Gatsby recovery from surgery and get him in remission so he could enjoy several more happy months with us. But sadly after fighting valiantly he lost his battle with cancer as it had spread throughout his stomach. We are heartbroken but grateful that we could spend a final hour with him while he slept under anesthesia to hold and cuddle him, tell him how much we loved him, and that it was okay to let go and make his transition over the rainbow bridge. Gatsby was loved beyond measure and he touched many lives. We have already been overwhelmed with the outpouring of loving messages we have received.  Every client, or visitor to our office knew what a special dog Gatsby was. Though he was protective of us his personality and nature was kind and gentle - unconditional love personified. He will be missed immensely and never ever be forgotten! Rest in peace sweet boy.

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Authors

    Anastasia Roussel is the head of Development at Award Winning Reels and White Swan Films. 

    Nicolas Pinzon is a filmmaker and storyteller currently enrolled in UCLA’s Professional Screenwriting Program. He has a B.A in Arts and Humanities with a concentration in both Music, and Gender and Sexuality.  

    Archives

    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    May 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014

    Categories

    All
    Branded Content
    Industry Resources
    Sizzle Reels
    Tips For Actors

    Tweets by @AwardReels

    RSS Feed

FOLLOW

Become an Award Winning Reels' follower to receive special offers and tips for your professional career. Be sure to follow us on Social Media, sign up for our newsletter and check out our blog!

BLOG
Sign Up For Newsletter

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

​
​​"The absolute BEST demo scenes in LA!"

"My agent was thrilled and so am I!"

"The quality of their work surpasses anything that I've seen. "

"It is absolutely worth every penny. "

"Professional in all aspects. Experienced and helpful throughout the whole process. Bravo!"

"
The company has heart, tremendous talent and a work ethic that is unmatched. "


​
READ THE FULL REVIEWS
LEAVE US A REVIEW

CONTACT


​​AWARD WINNING REELS
is a subsidiary of WHITE SWAN FILMS

Phone: 424 273 3468
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.awardwinningreels.com

Copyright © 2017 Award Winning Reels. All rights reserved.