Underdogs unite

Wes Anderson’s latest film is both political allegory and children’s tale

He’s done it again, the Master of the Strange,Purveyor of the Weird, Distiller of the Beautiful. Wes Anderson, director of such sweetly melancholic films as The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou (2004) and The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), has returned with a canine gem, The Isle of Dogs. The philosophy major has the unique distinction of creating “sad comedies”, miniature worlds where unlikely heroes emerge out of existential conflicts. In his latest film, the conflict revolves around the trampled canine species in a fictional Japanese megacity not too far in the future. Here are five reasons why Isle of Dogs is a must-watch.

In The Isle Of Dogs the conflict revolves around the trampled canine species in a fictional Japanese megacity not too far in the future(Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Each of the dogs, whether she comes from a posh home or much-maligned tribe, is heart-achingly human. And if the sighs and laughs from the lady in the seat next to mine at the theatre were anything to go by, the rundown pooches are a runaway hit.