Quill

Quill is an inoffensive yet generally entertaining look at the titular character, a seeing-eye dog who touches the lives of several people. There’s not much going on here that most audience members won’t see coming miles away – eg the transformation of a crusty old blind character into someone distinctly more kindhearted, thanks to the presence of Quill – but the film nevertheless remains engaging, primarily thanks to director Yoichi Sai’s patience in allowing things to play out naturally. As a result, we see Quill mature from a puppy to a grown dog – turning him into more than just a cute animal (he becomes a genuinely compelling figure). And while the movie does occasionally seem to dwell unnecessarily on some of the more unpleasant aspects of Quill’s life, this is the sort of movie kids will probably enjoy more than adults (yet grown-ups can easily watch this without checking their watch every couple of minutes).

**1/2 out of ****