Megan Leavey (2017)

“Megan Leavey” stars Kate Mara, Ramón Rodríguez, Tom Felton, Bradley Whitford, Will Patton, and Common.  Released on June 9, 2017, the film is about a female Marine who bonds with a military combat dog.

The film is directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite, and it is based on a true story about the relationship between Megan Leavey and her military dog companion, Rex.  OK, so I was originally planning on seeing It Comes at Night next, but since my mother had a couple of vacation days left, I decided to save that movie for another day and take her to see this one instead before she heads back to work next week.  My mother loves things that are dog-related, so it made sense that she wanted to see this one.  As for me, I wanted to see it because I really enjoy watching fact-based films.  I’m very pleased to say that this film not only filled a bunch of goodness into my heart, but it also executed its human-and-dog relationship premise in a more thoughtful and balanced way.

Pros:
The cast delivered some great performances from start to finish.  Kate Mara was absolutely brilliant as the title character, and Common delivered an impressive performance as Gunnery Sergeant Massey.

Director Gabriela Cowperthwaite created a near-perfect balance between drama and war genres without being too sappy or relying on one genre over the other.

Solid themes that were respectable and relatable without being forced.

Good character depth and screenplay.

Cons:
A couple of moments felt a bit rushed.  The relationship between Megan and Rex could’ve been developed a bit more.

Final Thoughts: It may look like an ordinary human-and-dog relationship film, but “Megan Leavey” is actually a compelling and smartly heartwarming story about love and willing to fight for those you care deeply about.  Thanks to its strong performances from the cast, smart direction, and a screenplay that hits the right notes in terms of its themes, I would consider this latest war biopic from director Gabriela Cowperthwaite as the “most heartwarming film of the summer”.  If you’re a dog-lover like my mother or a former Marine or you’re just looking for a film that’ll warm your heart, then I would highly recommend this film to you.

A-