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Best in Show

Best in Show

List Price: $19.97
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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: "God Loves a Terrier"
Review: A dear friend from out of town made me rent this movie. Halfway through I turned to him and said, "You know, this could be me in another life." He and my husband exchanged a quick look, and my husband gently said, "What do you mean, in another life?"
Although the movie has something for everyone, it is probably most enjoyed by those of us who consider it felicitous that the Westminster Dog Show falls around Valentine's Day. Dog obsessives will recognize their quirks taken to an illogical extreme.
Still, the humor is never mean-spirited. Although the movie certainly doesn't leave one with the desire to enter the dog-show world, it mocks gently.
A must-see for those who love dogs and people who love those who love dogs.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Watch it Over and Rover
Review: Best in Show is one of a handful of comedies that I can watch a second and third time and still find new laughs. It is hysterically funny with an incomparable ensemble cast. Highly recommended.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: It has its funny moments...
Review: This film is what a friend of mine calls a "mock documentary." It "documents" the obsessive lives of dog-owners as they prepare for a national dog competition. I put "documents" in quotes because what it really ends up doing is making fun of these people. Each couple "interviewed" in the film has their own quirks, none more evident than the manic-depressive Weimaraner of Parker Posey and Michael Hitchcock. (You know how some dog owners end up resembling their pets (or the other way around)? Parker Posey's look was dead on.) Christopher Guest ends up being the handler of a bloodhound (and either he owns the dog or is really good with it, because they're awesome together). Eugene Levy as the husband with two left feet (literally) also cracked me up.

I'm not even sure whether the actors stuck to a script because it felt completely improvised as each actor fed on what their fellow actors said. It's amazing.

But, hands down, I thought the highlight of this comedy was Fred Willard as the commentator of the competition. He is absolutely hilarious. It's fairly obvious he knows nothing about dog competitions, or dogs for that matter. It's not even clear how he got the job. His fellow announcer, an English fellow, is forced to endure Willard's outrageous and dirty remarks while at the same time trying to provide a helpful commentary for the audience.

In the same style as Waiting for Guffman, this film is divided into the pre-event, event, and post event interview segments.

I recommend this film for people who likes to see things blown out of proportion (figuratively). It's not a very fast paced film, and lacks any of the qualities that might garner it mass appeal. But it is a funny look into the even funnier world of dog breeders.

LEAP rating (each out of 5):
============================
L (Language) - 4 (each character matches their social stereotype to a tee)
E (Erotica) - 0 (n/a)
A (Action) - 0 (n/a)
P (Plot) - 1 (dog lovers take their pet to a Best in Show competition)

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: 5 ruffs!
Review: Maybe this movie won't appeal to everyone, but everyone I know who has seen it has loved it.

A "mockumentary" about a big dog show, the movie is entirely improvisational based around a loose script written by Christopher Guest and Eugene Levy (the people that also brought us the very funny "Waiting for Guffman").

This movie follows many contestants and their dogs as they come to the dog show, culminating in the final "Best in Show" competition. The actors are a pure joy to watch. And Fred Willard's take on a completely clueless dog show play-by-play announcer should have gotten him some kind of award.

The DVD also has commentary by Guest and Levy that is extremely interesting.

If you want laughter and smiles, get this DVD.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Absolutely hysterical
Review: This movie is absolutely on target. Everyone in the film is so distinct and precise. It is a great film and one of my all time favorites.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: One of the funniest 90 minutes you will ever find on DVD!
Review: Christopher Guest and Eugene Levy have done it again. I still prefer Waiting for Guffman (I do community theater in Missouri...I'm biased!), but Best in Show is a photo finish second.

The characters are so flawed, funny, and endearing, (Even the Swans...in all their preppy idiocy) you can't help but love them. Hard for me to pick a favorite out of this ensemble cast, but I'd have to say the performances of Jennifer Coolidge (We both love Soup) Michael McKean (No quote, but his best stuff was left on the cutting room floor which thankfully is included on the DVD)or Fred Willard (To think in some countries these dogs are eaten!). All do a great job, but if you don't laugh out loud at least once with each of these characters, nothing will amuse you.

Much better to buy this and rent it, because it will be viewed enough to make up for the amount you would spend on rental fee after rental fee.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Dog lovers unite
Review: This is one creative vehicle for many improv comediennes. If you like dogs, and sometimes laugh at some dog owners that seem to go a bit overboard, this movie is definately for you. I really loved Catherine O'Hara's character, Cookie. She cannot go anywhere without some man recognizing her as "the best, and most talented" conquest they ever had. Eugene Levy plays her sweet husband with "literally" two left feet. You have several characters on their way to the big dog show, all wanting their dog to obtain the "Best of Show" title.

The movie is shot like a documentary about these many dog owners getting their prize dogs groomed, and getting ready for the coming events. Parker Posey plays a very high strung yuppie, who claims that her dog is a nervous wreck because he doesn't have his busy bee toy. The only nervous wrecks are she and her husband. I really loved their new dog at the end. It's a pug named Skipper...

Extremely witty, and hard to forget. You will watch this again and again.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: The Mighty Dog that Yawned
Review: "Best in Show" is a slow, vaguely entertaining mockumentary about the bizarre owners of the canine competitors in the Mayflower Dog Show. There's the psychologically dysfunctional couple of lawyers, the trophy wife and her secret lover, the honky-tonk countryman, the happily gay partners, and the simple, yet troubled Mid-Western couple. I've heard that much of this was improvised -- and it shows, because not every joke hits the mark. The biggest laughs, however, come from Fred Willard's clueless dog show host and the running gag about, um, a get-around girl (Catherine O'Hara). And to stand out in this large cast (which also includes "American Pie"'s Eugene Levy and Jennifer Coolidge, "Saturday Night Live"'s Michael McKean, and director Christopher Guest) is truly worthy of a blue ribbon, and Parker Posey steals the movie, doing her best spin yet on her nervous-bossy trademark. Worth a look for those interested in the filmmaker or the stars, but there's a sense that the crew had more fun making this than any viewer will have watching it.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Woof!
Review: I'll never be able to watch a dog show in the same way again after viewing Christopher Guest's hilarious "documentary" on the prestigious dog-show "in crowd." As another reviewer pointed out, this mock-serious film is not about the dogs, but about their fame-hunting, obsessed humans.

One of the funniest bits in the movie, for me at least, is one couple's horrified realization that they have left their dog's "comfort toy" at home. A frenzied visit to an upscale petshop uncovers lots of toys...just not the right one. The ultra-serious conversation between the haughty salesperson and the distraught dog owner is outrageous!

As a dog lover myself, I could only lean back and howl over the all-too-human shenanigans of the owners and trainers. And just in case it's a tad too subtle for some of us, Fred Willard gives an inspired performance as a know-nothing television announcer calling the play-by-play, with his horrified partner, who DOES know about dog shows, standing helplessly by, unable to get a word in edgewise.

While not as brilliant as Guest's "Spinal Tap," "Best in Show" definitely ranks among the best in satirical humor. Perfect for a time when you want something to laugh at without being played for a fool.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: you'll be fallin out of your seat
Review: This movie is one of the funniest I have ever seen. Every character in the film has their thing going and each one is funny. The hardest thing about watching this movie is trying to decide who is the funniest out of the whole group (personally, I like the announcer).


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