A Reel Review: ISLE OF DOGS

Of all the quirks and trademarks that writer and director Wes Anderson has invented and clung to over the years, perhaps his most important are his pairing of fantasy and reality. His films mostly take place in alternate worlds with fictional settings, but they are also saturated in the nostalgia of times long-past. Perhaps no other film in his catalog embraces that delicate balance as much as ISLE OF DOGS.

In the near future, a mysterious dog flu spreads throughout the canine population of Japan, and the mayor (voiced by Kunichi Nomura), banishes all dogs from the country to a remote island where trash is dumped. The mayor’s orphaned nephew Atari (Koyu Rankin), travels to the island to find his dog Spots (Liev Schreiber), and earns help from a pack of dogs (Edward Norton, Bab Balaban, Bill Murray, and Jeff Goldblum), who are led by Chief (Bryan Cranston).

The basic plot of ISLE OF DOGS is very straightforward; just a boy-and-his-dog tale (or tail, haha), in a journey across a treacherous island…driven by love and affection and the power of man’s best friend. The journey takes Atari and his new friends across the remote island of trash and abandoned structures, avoiding perils and slowly uncovering a possible plot by the mayor (a cat lover), to manufacture the dog flu and ignore the facts by prominent scientists. Things are also beefed up by diving into the characters of the dogs, with each one having his or her own unique story before they were exiled away from their masters.

There is a lot of sadness that hangs over the film, as we see first-hand how these poor pooches are affected from being ripped away from their homes and cast out to a place where they scrap for maggot-infested food to survive. But Anderson infuses his film with a lot of joy. The laughs are plenty, and the tone remarkably light. The dialogue is sharp and witty, and the earnestness of the characters is something to love. There are also a few surprises and twists, keeping us on our paws at all times.

All of Anderson’s trademarks are present here, and it matches the odd nature of the film perfectly. His usual long camera pans and movements, superimpositions to identify characters and places, and well-placed pieces of pop music keep things fresh and interesting. The island is fictional, yet the film is set in and around Japan to offer grounding and familiarity. ISLE OF DOGS also feels like a story that we’ve seen before with classical film themes, but the surroundings make it seem fresh and new. The old-school, stop-animation puppetry and set construction/design is stunning, and the craft perhaps has never been done better. Alexandre Desplat’s score is greatness, using traditional orchestration and Japanese culture to great effect. Anderson also makes the brave stylistic choice of using no sub-titles over the Japanese language, relying on expression and the occasional translator.

The voice-over cast is impressive; Koyu Rankin, Kunichi Nomura, Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum, Bob Balaban, Ken Watanabe, Greta Gerwig, Frances McDormand, Fisher Stevens, Harvey Keitel, Live Schreiber, Scarlett Johansson, Tilda Swinton, F. Murray Abraham, Courtney B. Vance, and Yoko Ono (!). All perfectly cast and the film often becomes a game of picking out who is voicing what character.

For the first time in his career, Anderson takes a stand and delivers some messaging; mostly about those in power abusing that power and how they can never truly get away with it. It never distracts from the main story of the film about a boy and his beloved dog, and it is impressive how Anderson restrains himself in places where he easily could have gone further. ISLE OF DOGS is a sweet and charming film with a unique style that makes it timeless, and an absolute joy to behold.

BOTTOM LINE: See it