There’s a certain appeal to *Big Red*, though it largely feels unremarkable. Gilles Payant portrays Rene with a pleasantness, even if his acting seems stiff at times, and Walter Pidgeon brings some class to the movie as James. Émile Genest and Janette Bertrand are satisfactory as well. I found myself enjoying the actors themselves; what holds the film back is the storyline and its presentation. The dogs feature…