As
cute as he is, Quill is a dog with a role in life. By virtue of his intelligence and empathetic
intuition, the golden retriever will become a guide dog for the blind. His eventful dog’s life is lovingly depicted
in Yoichi Sai’s Quill: the Life of a
Guide Dog (trailer
here), which
opens this Friday in New York.
Out
of a litter of five pups, Quill is the shrewdest. His owner wanted them all to become guide
dogs, but only Quill makes the grade. As
a result, he will experience his first parting, leaving his puppy home to live
with the Isamu and Mitsuko Nii, a couple who care for prospective guide dogs until
they reach the age training commences.
Considering how the Niis dote on him, Satoru Tawada’s training kennel
requires quite an adjustment, but again Quill adapts.
Tawada
has Quill in mind for Watanabe, the irascible chairman of a local nonprofit
support organization, but the middle-aged man is resistant. Of course, Quill wins him over, but Watanabe’s
health problems will complicate their time together.
Sai
once served as an assistant director to Nagisa Ôshima on In the Realm of the Senses, a film about as dissimilar to Quill as one can possibly imagine. Not afraid of a little manipulative
sentiment, Shoichi Maruyama and Yoshihiro Nakamura’s screenplay hits all the
dog-lover bases good and hard. However, Quill’s
adorableness at all ages is an undeniable ace in the hole. By the time the aged Quill comes full circle
back to the Niis, even the brawniest of men will find themselves getting choked
up.
No
question, the canine cast is truly endearing, with the film’s trainer Tadami
Miya maximizing their cinematic charm. The
human ensemble is also rather pleasing, including Teruyuki Kagawa (recognizable
from far darker Japanese imports, like Tokyo Sonata and the 20th Century Boys
trilogy) and Shinobu Terajima (unforgettable in Wakamatsu’s disturbing Caterpillar), who are genuinely touching
as the Niis.
