Angel Dog

It's not often that I get hooked on a movie but I'm a sucker for films with strong character development and Angel Dog has plenty of that. It is similar to "As Good as it Gets" in that it is a dog that brings out the best in people. And like "As Good," this film focuses on people. The story moves along quickly thanks to the fine script and direction. The motivations of each character are realistic; there are no dead spots in this film. There are no car chases, terrorist, explosions or gun fire, but still, I could not pull myself away from this film once I started it. Yes, I am a crazy animal lover, but it was the quick pacing and wonderful characters that kept me glued to the screen. There is even a surprising and throat-choking O. Henry moment in the film. It's obvious that this is a low-budget film, but it also is proof that you don't need a big budget to make a good movie, one that puts to shame 95 percent of all the bigger budget films in terms of script quality, direction and editing. It's a feel-good film I could watch over and over again.