Jeri Jacquin
Coming to theatres this Friday from directors Scott McGehee, David Siegel and Bleecker Street is the story of a woman and a dog with THE FRIEND.
Iris (Naomi Watts) lives in a small New York apartment teaching writing courses and deciding on her own writing when she learns her friend Walter (Bill Murray) has died. Trying to come to terms with that and their history together, his wife Barbara (Noma Dumezweni) wants them to get together. Sharing her condolences with Barbara, Iris believes she is there to help put Walters papers together for a book. That couldn’t be further from it.
Barbara makes it clear that Walter wanted her to have Apollo, a very, very large Great Dane who he loved early. Iris balks at the idea making it clear that her apartment building doesn’t allow dogs but the choice is made clear that she either take the dog or else. Not liking the sound of else, Iris takes the very sad Apollo home to her small apartment. Immediately, the dog takes over and Iris is on the hunt for a new home for him with the building supervisor Hektor (Felix Solis) breathing down her neck. She does get chuckles from next door neighbor Marjorie (Ann Dowd).
Also wanting to get Walter’s book together is Val (Sarah Pidgeon) who turns to Iris when things get rough in her life. As the days go by with Iris, who has now been relegated to an air mattress with Apollo confiscating her bed, she finds herself weaving in and out of the world that was with Walter in it and the world she is in now. Trying to care for the saddest Great Dane on the planet, the biggest question is, “why did Walter leave me his dog?” and the answer comes with emotional breakthroughs for everyone.
Watts as Iris has the opportunity to portray a woman who is juggling a whole myriad of issues, then along comes the death of someone she cares for deeply. The shocking surprise that she is the new pal for big dog Apollo, her emotions are starting to come to the surface about so many things she has managed to bury. Watts portrays the character of a woman whose life starts to show the cracks in the walls she has put up and all of that with the help of a very large dog with his own set of big feelings. Watts and Apollo are stunning together.
Pidgeon as Val is Walter’s daughter who wants to help put together his memoirs but also has a bit of a messy life situation of her own. Feeling Iris is a safe space, these two women are quite lovely together. Dowd as Marjorie has her own soft spot for Apollo and sees the struggle her neighbor is going through. Solis as Hektor is an apartment super who lives by the rules and knows that Iris is under the watchful eye of the owner no matter how he personally feels.
Murray as Walter gives us the version that Iris sees of her friend. Their past relationship, his inconsistency with the women in his life, death and the world he left behind for Iris and, of course, Apollo. This isn’t a large role for Murray but it does not take away the footprint that is left. The scene between he and Watts as she comes to terms with her own sadness is absolutely stunning.
Other cast include Constance Wu as Tuesday, Owen Teague as Carter, Josh Pais as Jerry, Tom McCarthy as Dr. Warren, Bruce Norris as Dr. Novak, Gina Costigan as Jocelyn, Carla Gugino as Elaine and Bing as Apollo.
Bleecker Street is a New York City film company that has brought outstanding films to the public. Their library includes TRUMBO, DENIAL, THE LOST CITY OF Z, BEIRUT, HOTEL MUMBAI, ORDINARY LOVE and THE ROADS NOT TAKEN. For more information on the titles from Bleeker Street please visit www.bleeckerstreetmedia.com.
THE FRIEND is definitely a dog lovers’ film (have Kleenex), not only for the premise of Walters love, and deep friendship for a darn big dog, but what Apollo represents as a whole. Everyone that is part of Walters life have their own story to tell about the complexities of their relationship with him – Apollo is just a rather large bonus. Each person that is in Iris’ life has a different understanding of why they tolerated Walter’s human frailties and she begins to understand it, as much as she also fights it.
She wants her memories in tact without any interference because, as we all know, our own memories can sometimes be blind to the realities everyone else is aware of. Watts and Murray show us how, even with those frailties and realities, that loving someone can be the thing that gives us strength as a person – even if it is a big dog that silently points that out. The film is lovely, charming, funny, sad and eye opening at the same time.
By the end of the film we might all need a huge box of Kleenex, an even larger dog and serious therapy – and none of those things are all that bad thanks to THE FRIEND.
In the end – what about the dog?
No comments:
Post a Comment