How to Make an Elevated Dog Movie

As a film enthusiast with a lifelong affection for canines and a keen eye for nuanced storytelling, I found “The Friend” to be a heartwarming yet thought-provoking gem. The performance of Bing as Apollo is nothing short of extraordinary – he embodies the quiet dignity and introspective nature of his character in a way that transcends conventional acting.

In the movie “The Friend,” directed by Scott McGehee and David Siegel, a mature, dignified Great Dane named Apollo takes center stage. This film, while primarily dealing with the challenges of pet care in New York City, stands out for its unique approach to animals on screen. Unlike many dog movies, it refrains from humanizing Apollo excessively and instead seeks to understand his thoughts without giving him human speech. The role is played by a dog named Bing, who might just be the most talented canine actor I’ve encountered. Apollo carries the film effortlessly, not through any elaborate actions or dialogues, but simply by being true to himself. The beauty of the movie lies in the fact that we are never privy to his inner thoughts, and that’s precisely what makes it intriguing.

The human at the center of this movie is pretty solid too. Naomi Watts, who hasn’t always been well served by her more recent roles, is relatably harried and fragile as Iris, an author and a creative-writing instructor who winds up with Apollo after the sudden death of his owner, her mentor, Walter (Bill Murray). In the film’s opening scene, Walter tells a group of dinner-party guests, Iris among them, about the unlikely circumstance of how he ended up with the dog after seeing the creature quietly sitting alone atop a hill near the Brooklyn Heights Promenade. “He’s there, between two bridges, silhouetted against the limpid sky,” he describes, as Iris gently chastises him for making up the story. (“Limpid is one of your words,” she says, laughing.) Walter says the creature reminded him of a Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale; Iris responds that the original is a rape fantasy. They argue over the meaning of words and stories because that’s what writers do.

Titled “The Friend“, derived from Sigrid Nunez’s National Book Award-winning 2018 novel (that I promise to read someday), is a topic that could spark heated debates during a tipsy dinner party. Rich in literary nuances, it resonates with Mozart’s music and is perfect for book clubs and advanced writing workshops. However, contrary to what may seem like a critique, the film is not a knock at all. Instead, it subtly hints at a deep thematic revelation – a symbolic moment of clarity, a poignant flashback, or a significant fictional projection. Yet, it gracefully refrains from reaching such a point, which adds to its intrigue.

In this narrative, Iris resides in an apartment within a Manhattan building that doesn’t permit pets, yet she looks after Apollo due to Barbara (Noma Dumezweni), who maintains Walter intended it. Being emotionally unresolved about Walter, a renowned literary figure whose ex-spouses might pen memoirs about him, Iris doesn’t identify as one of the women mourning his passing. Instead, she was merely his closest confidante, possessing his correspondence and large canine. However, this wasn’t sufficient for him. The film offers glimpses into Iris’s past with her father, hinting at a deeper bond between them and Walter, but it refrains from delving into psychological analysis. Even a scene featuring a psychiatrist (performed by Tom McCarthy) leaves Iris with more inquiries than responses. Caring for Apollo helps Iris realize just how much she is unaware of herself and others, as if she has unexpectedly become aware of the transparent yet impenetrable veil that covers all living beings.

Initially, Iris attempts to delegate Apollo’s care to someone else, but she gradually develops a bond with the animal instead. This plot twist is reminiscent of the cautionary advice they often gave in their lessons about storytelling – “be wary of predictable developments.” However, McGehee and Siegel are not typical filmmakers; I’d label them as “elevated sentimentalists.” They manage to take common themes that could easily turn into saccharine stories and make them into something intriguing and profound without entirely abandoning traditional emotions. Their 2005 film, Bee Season, revolves around a young spelling-bee champion and the tumult in her family as she advances to the national finals. It carries the appearance of a heartwarming tale but also explores themes of madness and the quest for spiritual truth. Though it primarily focuses on a little girl’s journey in competitive spelling, you also get to observe Richard Gere becoming fixated on understanding God’s mind and Juliette Binoche losing her sanity. (Don’t be misled by its mediocre Rotten Tomatoes score – it’s quite eccentric, mainly in an appealing way.)

In a sense, “The Friend” works wonderfully as a representation of a dog image, or a film about a harried single woman navigating the challenges of nurturing a kind-hearted yet rowdy pet in bustling urban life. However, it truly shines when it delves into the essence of caregiving. As Iris ponders Apollo’s early days and acknowledges that she may never know what he was like as a pup—that much of this creature’s past, which she has devoted herself to, will remain a mystery—we recognize that this is not merely a tale about humans and animals, but about the inherent enigma of all souls.

2024-10-10 01:53

How to Make an Elevated Dog Movie

Read More

Minority Mindset