Displaying items by tag: Bill Murray

THE FRIEND

US, 2024, 119 minutes, Colour.

Naomi Watts, Bill Murray, Sarah Pidgeon, Carla Gugino, Noma Dumezweni, Constance Wu, Josh Pais, Felix Solis, Owen Teague, Ann Dowd, Tom McCarthy.

Directed by Scott McGehee, David Siegel.

The old adage was that a dog is a man’s best friend. Rather mail-centred as we look back – and now we have a film which definitely shows that a dog can be a woman’s best friend.

This film is based on a prize-winning novel by, exploring the relationship between a writer and the dog which she reluctantly accepts. The writer-directors have opened up this basic story, supplying a range of characters which give understanding to the dog experience.

While the film begins with Bill Murray, offering, once again, what seems his regular performance on screen presence, as Walter, writer and teacher, jogging in New York and discovering the dog which becomes his friend, this is really Naomi Watts’s film.

She is Iris, one-time student of Walter, herself a writer, emotionally close as a student to Walter who has been married three times. Now he has committed suicide, unexplained, strong effect on Iris, different effects on his three wives, on his daughter through an affair, and his publisher and friends. There is a celebration on the boat sailing on the Hudson and the ritual of scattering his ashes.

Iris, who is collaborating with Val, Walter’s daughter, on producing a book presenting and exploring his letters, is suddenly summoned by the third wife told that Walter has asked that she take on his dog. She lives in an apartment block which forbids dogs, is not enthusiastic about dogs herself, finds that the other wives are not enthusiastic about taking on the dog either.

And, there is the dog, an iconic presence, with a classic name, Apollo, a large and dignified great Dane. While Apollo has the power to irritate and exasperate Iris, he does seem to ingratiate himself into the audiences appreciation.

For dog-lovers, no problem, probably making comparisons with their own experiences. For non-dog lovers, may be a reinforcement of prejudices and difficulties. For those who are neutral, the screenplay does make a case for the human-canine relationship, especially whether the dog is just a pet or is a commanding presence on the owner. And, of course, these are the issues throughout the film is Iris wonders whether she is dependent on Apollo or Apollo on her.

The main drama, apart from the growing friendship, is whether she can keep the dog in the apartment which she has inherited from her parents. The superintendent has to keep telling her that the dog can’t be present – but he has a soft heart, especially when there is a happy ending. In part of the drama is a visit to Iris’s doctor, played by writer-director, Tom McCarthy, a sympathetic probing of who depends on whom and the importance of the self-confident dog learning to know its place with a sympathetic owner.

While the dog looks impressive and imposing, strength of the film is in Naomi Watts’ performance, especially towards the end when she decides on doctor’s orders to write about Walter, she imagines meeting him and, dead, the chats for Bill Murray to reappear, to explore their relationship.

The Friend certainly makes the case for dogs.

1. Title, focus, humans and dogs?
2. The New York story, the opening, Walter and his jogging, seeing Apollo, the editing cut, the return to the sequence of the end, seeing Apollo like an icon, taking him into care?
3. Walter and the friendship with Apollo, Iris and her experience of becoming a friend? The responses of other characters to Apollo and his presence? The regulations forbidding dogs in apartment blocks? Hector and his role, warning Iris, yet his ultimate sympathy? Iris and her attempts for the other wives to take on Apollo?
4. Walter’s story, a Bill Murray character, a writer, a teacher, his three wives, his relationship with Iris, the affair, friendship, his relationships, his reputation, his love of reading, sequences seeing Walter reading his work, the story of his suicide, no explanations, leaving Apollo to Iris? His appearing in flashbacks? More significantly, the sequence where Iris imagines writing her book, going to interview the dead Walter, their interactions, the conversations, his explanations of himself? Her perceptions?
5. Iris’s story, a writer, published, her career and reputation, the classes with Walter, his being married to Elaine, the continued friendship, the party sequence and the conversation, especially about his finding Apollo? His death and its impact? Her own life, the apartment, memories of her father, literature? Her working with Val, those emails, 30,000, Val and her friend getting into the texts, working on the book, Iris letting things go, leaving it to Val?
6. Iris and her relationship with the other wives, their not wanting the dog, Barbara and the meeting, Barbara’s character, offloading the dog, Tuesday, harassing Iris, taking the dog, the dog on the couch, her not wanting the dog?
7. The funeral, on the boat, the ashes and flowers? The poem read by Jerry, his role with the publishing firm, the meeting with Iris and urging her to complete the book and the commercial reasons?
8. Apollo, greater Dane, large, statuesque, iconic? Iris and her reaction, on the leash, to the apartment, Hector and his complaints, not wanting to go into the elevator, in the apartment, immediately going to the bed, commandeering it, Iris sleeping on the floor? Leaving him, playing the music, her return and his mischief in the apartment? Beating him, walking him, dog loving audiences identifying?
9. The increasing bond between Iris and the dog, yet her wanting to find an alternate home, forbidden in the apartment block, the complaints, the notices? Hector and his interventions? The other wives and not taking on Apollo?
10. Iris going to see Dr Warren, the discussions, his sympathy, the issue of dependents, Iris dependent on Apollo, Apollo dependent on Iris, the report, going to the lawyers, the decision that Apollo could stay? Dr Warren and his advice for Iris to take control rather than Apollo to take control?
11. The advice about the Sunday meetings with the great Danes, Iris taking Apollo, the bonding between the dogs?
12. Passing of time, the letters book being published, Val and her achievement, Val as Walter’s daughter, the absent mother? Offering her house by the water for Iris to write?
13. Apollo, age, lying on the seashore, Iris upset, but is eventually dying? Presented as a noble character, iconic photographing of him?

THE PHOENICIAN SCHEME

US, 2025, 101 minutes, Colour.

Benicio del Toro, Mia Threapleton, Michael Cera, Riz Ahmed, Tom Hanks, Bryan Cranston, Mathieu Amalric, Richard Ayoade, Jeffrey Wright, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Rupert Friend, Hope Davis, Bill Murray, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Willem Dafoe, F. Murray Abraham, Stephen Park, Alex Jennings, Donald Sumpter, Scott Shepherd.

Directed by Wes Anderson.

A significant part of the review for The Phoenician Scheme is to look at the huge credits list, many of the cast having appeared in a number of Wes Anderson films. And, of course, expectations from writer-director, Wes Anderson. Anderson has been writing and directing films, including two animation films, for more than a quarter of a century. His tyle and his exploration of themes is, to say the least, highly distinctive.

And, The Phoenician Scheme, is quite idiosyncratically distinctive. It is very stylised in the visuals, the traditional box screen frame, the framing of action, the references to paintings and the staging looking like 20^th century paintings. Then there are the performances, also stylised, often life theatre performances, eccentric and clipped delivery of lines, postures and posing. And, for those audiences ready to surrender to Anderson, there are many who do, these visuals and the performances are readily engaging.

There is a plot. The setting is 1950, an entrepreneurial businessman from Hungary, Korda, played perfectly, both seriously and ironically, by Benicio del Toro. He has survived several plane crashes, assassins out to get him and sabotage his plan for development, rails and tunnels in Phoenicia. We are presented with a chart indicating his plans as well as the contacts he must make to improve a shortfall in income project. They serve as chapters for the film.

Korda has many children, his own and adopted, hoping for an Einstein for the future. But his only daughter, Liesl, a novice nun, played by Mia Threapleton, is seconded, initially unwillingly and firmly committed to her vocation, to be his heir. (Mia Threapleton is following in the footsteps of her mother, Kate Winslet, a very interesting role.) And, there is Kord’a new assistant, expert on insects, played with accent by Michael Cera.

Interspersed throughout it is round table conference of elders who are monitoring Korda’s behaviour judging him and his morality accordingly.

The encounters with the various characters for financial help are highly entertaining, eccentric and satirically humorous in their way, incorporating the various stars listed above until a culmination in the fearsome presence of Benedict Cumberbatch Korda’s brother.

Then there are Korda’s memories and dreams, flashbacks in black-and-white, some of his near death, or momentary post-death, experiences, some ecclesiastical in an Orthodox style, others with biblical overtones, again with a number of stars – and a cameo by Bill Murray, who has been working with Anderson for a long time, culminating in his presence as God.

Anderson has a wry and offbeat sense of humour, so often the unexpected, some realism and then some surrealism, farcical moments, deadly serious moments, tantalising the audience, a treat for those who are willing to be tantalised.

1. A Wes Anderson film, style, visual, verbal, humorous, satirical, ironic? Underlying serious themes? The strengths of his casts, many actors reappearing in his films?
2. The visual style of the film, but colour like 20^th century contemporary paintings? Sets and decor? Photography, the black and white flashbacks? Staging of the action, like stage performance, all postures and posings? The stylised action sequences? The performances, stylised and realism? The language of the screenplay, the particular style of delivery? The overall effect and response?
3. The setting in 1950, memories of World War II, business enterprises after the war, international entrepreneurs, international projects and finance?, Double dealing?
4. The explanation of Korda, his business acumen, the 5%? The background of his marriages? Children and adopted children, hoping for an Einstein? His relationship with his daughter, novice nun, seconding her, naming her as his heir? His staff, his planes, the plans to kill him, his surviving the various crashes?
5. The plane ride, his assistant cut in half and swept away, the crash, surviving? Meeting his daughter, her personality, severe, dedicated to the convent, contact with the mother superior, wanting to make her vows? Her not knowing her father, his reputation with her? Her unwillingness to be part of his empire? The plan, her observing his behaviour, learning more about him, her beads, images, sign of the cross, holy water?
6. Bjorn, Scandinavian background, accent, present on the plane, his role as assistant, his expertise on insects, his attraction to Liesl, declarations? The comic style of his character, interactions?
7. The Phoenician scheme itself, tunnels and railway, the finance, the image on the screen with the various contacts for making up the gap in finance? The structure of the film, the various contacts?
8. The background of the assembly, the business discussions, the following of Korda, the decisions about his business and morality?
9. The Americans, in the tunnel, on the train, the discussions, suspicions, the meeting with the Prince of Phoenicia, the attack by the camel riders, the Prince saving Korda? The financial discussions, the proposal of the basketball competition, the Prince and his ignorance of the game, Korda hopeless, the skill of the two Americans, yet the Prince succeeding? Getting a grant?
10. Going to Marseille Bob, the manager of the club, past relationship with Korda, Liesel and Bjorn observing, the raid on the club, the freedom fighters, the personality of Sergio, Bob upset about the roof, and Korda taking the bullet for Bob? Getting the grant?
11. Marty, fast talking American, suspicious of Korda, Korda shot, Marty providing the blood transfusion, making an agreement?
12. Going to see Hilda, the distant cousin, her financial knowledge, the prospect of the marriage, her place in the family, with Liese?
13. The flight, going to see Nubar, the crash, the jungle, Bjorn and his being unmasked as an agent, his siding with Korda, Korda in the quicksand, Bjorn rescuing him, the arrival of Sergio and his revolutionaries, taking the group to safety?
14. The encounter with Nubar, looking sinister, the relationship, the mastermind behind the assassination attempts, discussing the family, the finance, the satirical physical fight between Nubar and Korda?
15. Korda, death experiences, near death, his life before him, black-and-white photography, the bearded Orthodox-like sequences, the characters, judgements? The biblical sequences, the personalities, the pageantry, Bill Murray as God?
16. Liesl, the contact with the mother superior, her being present for the business deals, the money for the community? Liesl opting to leave the convent?
17. The finale, Korda and his being honest, losing everything, restaurant, the working in the kitchen, father and daughter, reconciled, and a happy life?