Whether Lifetime, Hallmark, ABC Family, or some other kindred network, all such romantic comedies are incredibly formulaic with only slight variations: characters meet, they have various disagreements, eventually they grow as people and find camaraderie, and after overcoming obstacles of one sort or another they'll end up together. As the saying goes, one could practically set a clock by the regularity with which these beats unfold, though 'Like cats & dogs' seems extra contrived in various ways. For example, characters Laura and Spencer meet within about the first minute after we press "play." The nature of the rental house is revealed very early as Laura views photos framed on the wall - not that it's stated out loud, but any viewer with a remote degree of awareness will figure it out, especially as Laura and Spencer subsequently discuss the surveys they took. (Please also note how identical photos are hung on at least two different walls.) As romance develops, each step along the way is guided toward maximum kitsch. Then there are the ghastly plastic expressions that each and every actor bears at most every passing moment. Observed primarily when we're supposed to discern a "smile," the "Uncanny Valley" has nothing on Hallmark, and the sterile acting and facial expressions more closely suggest what might happen if cast members were in a 'Saw'-like horror scenario where they were forced to make one hollow, cookie cutter TV movie romcom after another or face dire consequences.
Okay, so maybe I'm being a tad facetious. Still, what's extraordinary is that right about the time that it feels like we should be entering the third act and approaching the inevitable union, one glances at the digital timer and finds that we're only halfway through. Somehow filmmaker Ron Oliver and co-writer Aaron Mendelsohn found a way to stretch this into a runtime of a little over eighty minutes! Mind you, it's not that I'm complaining. No, a flick like this is not something I customarily choose to watch, but there's a time and a place for most everything, and sometimes an incredibly light, hopelessly cheesy, highly predictable romcom is just what we need. Being a cat lover, of course it was the premise that drew me in to this one, and 'Like cats & dogs' does not disappoint as fluffy feline Mozart is absolutely gorgeous (and, okay, bowwow Frank is pretty cute, too). Despite the bare-faced falseness into which the script and Oliver's direction force the cast, Cassidy Gifford and Wyatt Nash do manage to bring out the charm of Laura and Spencer that's initially hidden within the characters' most unlikable traits. More than that, despite the bare-faced falseness, Gifford and Nash manage to actually, you know, act, and bring real emotion to the tableau. And the feature is otherwise admirably well made. The filming locations are truly beautiful, and between the soft warmth of Adam Sliwinski's cinematography and some earnestly terrific shot composition, this is very easy on the eyes. The same could be said of the art direction, costume design, and hair and makeup (and whoever groomed the feline and canine stars deserves a lot of credit, too). Though nothing remarkable in and of itself, I'd be lying if I said Michael Richard Plowman's music didn't add nicely to the mood and help to bring out the genuine feelings that are evoked if one is open to it all.
Yes, believe it or not, beneath the veneer of ham-handed, easily foreseen artificiality, there is heartfelt storytelling to be found here. Whether or not it will land with an individual depends on how receptive one is to the genre, but again, at one time or another I think everyone needs a gentle little nothing along these lines. One look at the premise, and the network behind the production, tells us all we need to know, so there's not much sense in making a fuss; from the outside looking in we know whether or not it might be something we'd enjoy. I, for one, really did have a good time here. Unless you're one of those folks who can't get enough of TV movie romcoms then this isn't anything one needs to go out of their way to see, but particularly if you're looking for a pick-me-up - or are a life-long animal lover - then I'm pleased to say this is worth watching if one has the chance. 'Like cats & dogs' is most certainly kith and kin with like-minded fare, but it's well done and entertaining in all the ways we hope, and ultimately it is perhaps a step or two more on the sincere side of the spectrum. For titles of this nature, that's a bit of a rarity.
Okay, so maybe I'm being a tad facetious. Still, what's extraordinary is that right about the time that it feels like we should be entering the third act and approaching the inevitable union, one glances at the digital timer and finds that we're only halfway through. Somehow filmmaker Ron Oliver and co-writer Aaron Mendelsohn found a way to stretch this into a runtime of a little over eighty minutes! Mind you, it's not that I'm complaining. No, a flick like this is not something I customarily choose to watch, but there's a time and a place for most everything, and sometimes an incredibly light, hopelessly cheesy, highly predictable romcom is just what we need. Being a cat lover, of course it was the premise that drew me in to this one, and 'Like cats & dogs' does not disappoint as fluffy feline Mozart is absolutely gorgeous (and, okay, bowwow Frank is pretty cute, too). Despite the bare-faced falseness into which the script and Oliver's direction force the cast, Cassidy Gifford and Wyatt Nash do manage to bring out the charm of Laura and Spencer that's initially hidden within the characters' most unlikable traits. More than that, despite the bare-faced falseness, Gifford and Nash manage to actually, you know, act, and bring real emotion to the tableau. And the feature is otherwise admirably well made. The filming locations are truly beautiful, and between the soft warmth of Adam Sliwinski's cinematography and some earnestly terrific shot composition, this is very easy on the eyes. The same could be said of the art direction, costume design, and hair and makeup (and whoever groomed the feline and canine stars deserves a lot of credit, too). Though nothing remarkable in and of itself, I'd be lying if I said Michael Richard Plowman's music didn't add nicely to the mood and help to bring out the genuine feelings that are evoked if one is open to it all.
Yes, believe it or not, beneath the veneer of ham-handed, easily foreseen artificiality, there is heartfelt storytelling to be found here. Whether or not it will land with an individual depends on how receptive one is to the genre, but again, at one time or another I think everyone needs a gentle little nothing along these lines. One look at the premise, and the network behind the production, tells us all we need to know, so there's not much sense in making a fuss; from the outside looking in we know whether or not it might be something we'd enjoy. I, for one, really did have a good time here. Unless you're one of those folks who can't get enough of TV movie romcoms then this isn't anything one needs to go out of their way to see, but particularly if you're looking for a pick-me-up - or are a life-long animal lover - then I'm pleased to say this is worth watching if one has the chance. 'Like cats & dogs' is most certainly kith and kin with like-minded fare, but it's well done and entertaining in all the ways we hope, and ultimately it is perhaps a step or two more on the sincere side of the spectrum. For titles of this nature, that's a bit of a rarity.