Movie Review: Ollie’s War
Ollie’s War is a sequel to the film War Dogs and I, a documentary about a South African man’s escape from Kyiv during the early stages of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Working through grief and rescuing his four beloved dogs, Kobus Olivier quickly discovered Croatia was a safe haven where he and his family would start their new life. The documentary was compiled from much of Olivier’s own phone footage, giving it an authentic immediacy and slice-of-life feel. A sentimental yet timely drama, War Dogs and I centred on the former cricketer and his special bond and tender relationship with his four hounds.
Having made it to Zagreb in Croatia with some close calls along the way, Olivier made a new life for himself and his dogs. However, after some 2 years Olivier was suddenly given 5 days notice to leave the country after his Croatian work permit wasn’t renewed. This news inverted the story behind War Dogs and I as the sweet-natured 60-something teacher found his only option was to return to Kyiv with the conflict still underway.
Ollie’s War was made in parallel with Olivier’s return to Ukraine, enabling writer-director Stefan Enslin and producer Asgar Mahomed to have a more proactive rather than retrospective approach to this follow-on. While it doesn’t have the novelty of War Dogs and I, the tender heart of the story is still there and it’s curious to see what became of the family of five.
A quick recap of War Dogs and I leads us to Ollie’s War, which is taken from the perspective of his alpha dog, Ollie. The pack leader, Ollie and Olivier have a strong understanding with his faithful dog able to interpret his words and tone with relative ease.
While War Dogs and I was a documentary, Ollie’s War has a softer genre focus and comes across like a docudrama with an eye for greater accessibility and entertainment. Using a narrator to speak for Ollie, this stylistic element blurs the lines of the original film genre, gravitating from something on-the-ground to more open-ended family-orientated entertainment. The backdrop of war is still present with sirens to signal air raids with imminent danger but it’s mostly focused on the tender relationship with man’s best friends.
“Man’s best friend… friends.”
To this end, Ollie’s War is War Dogs and I in reverse. Having premeditated this sequel there’s more story curation and a filmic quality thanks to being able to plan shoots on-the-fly but ahead of time. The sentimental concept offers a fresh spin but Ollie’s intermittent narrative element is used so infrequently, it doesn’t seem worthy of adopting the film’s title. It’s a sweet idea to make the story angle more accessible, but there’s a lack of emotion to the clean-yet-cold voice performance for Ollie.
Ollie’s War offers a quick account of the events in War Dogs and I but for all intents and purposes operates with the expectation that you’ve seen the first film. It’s not really a standalone feature but does cover many of the bases touched on in War Dogs and I. There are some trials to overcome but there’s an overall lack of focus, a displaced feel, and the stakes just aren’t as high as the original film. While it’s a pleasure to spend more time with Kobus, his obedient dogs and his big heart, there just isn’t enough story to outweigh the events of War Dogs and I.
It’s an intimate and heartfelt story but maybe Ollie’s War should have aimed for something along the pure lines of The Bicycle Thieves. Perhaps a narrative feature would’ve worked better than this blended docudrama approach. The angle of an expatriated South African opting to return to a war zone rather than coming home is the bigger story here, and perhaps a more honest exploration of these real issues would have had more impact.
As it stands, Ollie’s War is a sentimental return to the world of War Dogs and I but it doesn’t do enough to justify the echo beyond aesthetic finesse. Getting more involved in the lives of Ollie, Kaya and a sweet moment in the closing stages may be enough for dog lovers. However, this sequel lacks story focus and apart from attempts at a concept overhaul, doesn’t have much more to say than War Dogs and I. A serviceable film with a kind and gentle soul, the purity of love goes a long way in this day and age. The special connection makes this film endearing, timely and relatable but unfortunately it pales in comparison to the authenticity, novelty and urgency of the original.
The bottom line: Tender
