A Brilliant and Funny Guessing Game

OK, so this post is going to stick out like a sore thumb amongst what has been posted recently, so my apologies in advance for that.  This is also kind of a late post, but I felt I needed to comment about this short film, because it's so brilliant.  

                                                          And it's name is "Devotion".

I love films that engage the audience through mystery in a very small span of time.  This short is just under four minutes, but it really packs a punch.  The film keeps you guessing the whole way through, and it is not until the last, maybe 10 seconds, that its point is revealed.  Those clever enough will be able to catch on to its meaning early... and then there's me, who doesn't have a clue as to what's going on (OK, I had bits and pieces put together) until that wonderfully hilarious last scene.  So, even if the ending doesn't come as a complete surprise to you (which, for most people, I guess it shouldn't), it's still a very smart, funny short.  After watching it again for a second time, I began to really appreciate how it all came together.  So basically the gist is that Hank (the human) is actually a dog. Tony Hale, who plays Hank, does a fabulous job of behaving like a real dog as if he were a human.  (I just made that way more confusing than it is, but you've all seen it, so hopefully you get the idea).  I particularly enjoyed how expressive Hale's character was.  And when you see it a second time, you look at him and think "yep, that's definitely a dog".  

But anyway, what I loved most about this film is, again, how it all came together.  The story is revealed bit by bit and the viewer begins to understand what's going on through Hank's actions.  I think my favorite part was when he breaks away from the couch momentarily to see who's trespassing on "his" lawn.  And he basically translates what a dog might say if it were barking its head off at the intruder.  So, yep, "Devotion" is a wonderful little film that's very relatable to anyone who's ever owned a dog.    

                                                  

I WAS HIDING UNDER

YOUR PORCH BECAUSE

I LOVE YOU