Gone to the Dogs
- TV Movie
- 2007
- 25m
YOUR RATING
Photos
Storyline
Featured review
Interesting and engaging with a great visual delivery
Filmed on location at Walthamstow greyhound racing stadium, this film explores the culture of the place and the nature of the races through the people involved. Douglas Tyler is a 88 year old bookie still proudly working his stand. Gerry Croxford is a professional gambler, who has to use others to place his bets as the bookies refuse to take his bets. Hayley Mills and her American colleagues are the corporate guests, drinking champagne in an area removed from the noisier sections of the crowd. Meanwhile behind the scenes John and Betty Beck are the pub owners who also own some of the dogs.
Going down the dogs is something I have always thought about doing but I admit it would be in the rather knowing and ironic way that the corporate guests in this film do it. The film acknowledges this side of the business by showing us with Hayley and her colleagues placing twenty pence bets but where it does a better job is getting into the main thrust of the game the gamblers and the punters. The film not requiring a narrator is testimony to how well chosen the contributors are. They are interesting to watch going about their business and they are "characters" but they are also insightful enough to provide engaging discussion over what the dogs means to them. It is still a 25 minute film but it still provides interesting material and the chance to experience the culture and feelings around the place.
The thing that impressed me most though was the look of the film. Considering that the film was part of a short season of short films given little promotion and put on early Sunday morning, Gone to the Dogs looked great. It captures the colours really well, it looks professional and there are plenty of well framed shots. You can imagine the first thought might have been to film the world of greyhound racing and "common people" in gritty, washed out colours but the glossy and slick film used seems to better match the passion and colour of the people and event.
It doesn't offer huge insight into the world but it is still an interesting look around the people and place on one night. It does work and engaged me easily enough as well as being visually a lot better than I would have expected and indeed comes off as one of the more impressive films from the New Shoots season of films.
Going down the dogs is something I have always thought about doing but I admit it would be in the rather knowing and ironic way that the corporate guests in this film do it. The film acknowledges this side of the business by showing us with Hayley and her colleagues placing twenty pence bets but where it does a better job is getting into the main thrust of the game the gamblers and the punters. The film not requiring a narrator is testimony to how well chosen the contributors are. They are interesting to watch going about their business and they are "characters" but they are also insightful enough to provide engaging discussion over what the dogs means to them. It is still a 25 minute film but it still provides interesting material and the chance to experience the culture and feelings around the place.
The thing that impressed me most though was the look of the film. Considering that the film was part of a short season of short films given little promotion and put on early Sunday morning, Gone to the Dogs looked great. It captures the colours really well, it looks professional and there are plenty of well framed shots. You can imagine the first thought might have been to film the world of greyhound racing and "common people" in gritty, washed out colours but the glossy and slick film used seems to better match the passion and colour of the people and event.
It doesn't offer huge insight into the world but it is still an interesting look around the people and place on one night. It does work and engaged me easily enough as well as being visually a lot better than I would have expected and indeed comes off as one of the more impressive films from the New Shoots season of films.
helpful•10
- bob the moo
- Jul 26, 2007
Details
- Runtime25 minutes
- Color
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