'Patrick' is bland and falls flat when the doggy charm wears off after the first five minutes [Movie Review]
It may sound adorable but, much like its canine star, Patrick rolls over and plays dead.
This British family comedy centres around a young teacher trying to get her life on track with her grandma’s mischievous pug, Patrick, in tow. While there are some sweet moments, the film is mostly 90 minutes of lazy animal slapsticks and stale dialogue.
Sarah Francis’ (Beattie Edminson) life is a bit of a mess. What she doesn’t know is that her grandmother’s pug Patrick might be just what she needs to fix it. With the help of her shy love interest (Tom Bennett) and her peppy colleague Becky (Emily Atack), Sarah soon learns more than just dog training tips.
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It’s hard to say whether the film falls flat because of its cringeworthy one-liners, or Edminson’s lacklustre delivery. Her ditsy character is funny for the first five minutes, but soon becomes tiresome, much like the rest of the pup-related antics. The bland storyline isn’t likely to move audiences either, and one too many close-ups of Patrick’s pugly snout will make you wonder if you’re really expected to coo this much throughout one film.
At last, Patrick fizzles out to a lukewarm ending that is entirely predictable, yet touching in a way that makes you want to throw the movie a bone after all.
With no bark or bite, Patrick is as bland as it gets, relying on the undeniable cuteness of its star pup to sustain it.