Megan Leavey

 

image source

Megan Leavey (played by Kate Mara) is a woman whose life is going nowhere. She signs up to join the Marines. While there, she ends up cleaning the cages of the bomb-sniffing dogs and realizes that she wants to be a dog handler, ultimately being paired up with a German Shepherd named Rex. Megan Leavey is based on a true story. What’s crazier to me is that I knew nothing about this woman. I want to start by getting the flaws I had out of the way because they are very few and very minor. At times, I could notice the camera kind of bounce up and down when it probably should have been still. Not everyone is going to pick up on that, and in my case, it really is a nit-pick. The movie can also be kind of cheesy at times as well, though it never really beats you over the head. Now that that’s out of the way, let’s talk about everything else. The acting is pretty damn strong all around. While supporting players Common, Ramon Rodriguez, Tom Felton, and Bradley Whitford all act their asses off, this is Kate Mara’s movie. She completely owns every scene she’s in. The way her character is developed is very well done as well. As the movie goes on, you really get to understand her. You know what she’s doing and why? You can relate to her. I like that they really build up her relationship with Rex. You do feel like there is a bond between them. It’s understandable why she moves Heaven and earth to adopt this dog. There are some moments of humor that work pretty well and add some levity to the movie, especially alongside some of the more intense moments in Iraq. Megan Leavey has minor nit-picks of shortcomings, but a likable lead character and Kate Mara’s performance anchor it.

9 / 10