Displaying items by tag: Carla Gugino

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?

LISA FRANKENSTEIN

US, 2024, 101 minutes, Colour.

Kathryn Newton, Liza Soberano, Cole Sprouse, Carla Gigino, Joe Chrest, Henry Eikenberry, Bryce Romero.

Directed by Zelda Williams.

For a while at the opening of the film, this seems to be just another high school comedy/drama, the target audience seeming to be the kind of girls that were portrayed. A very limited audience.

However, there are indications that this film will be not exactly what we might be anticipating. There is a clue when we see that the screenplay was written by Diablo Cody, Oscar winner for Juno, her films including Jennifer’s Body, and a focus on fiction for younger readers, Tully, Young Adult and the screenplay for the Meryl Streep musical vehicle, Ricki and the Flash.

The central character, Lisa, is played by Kathryn Newton (Big Little Lies). The mother has been killed by an intrusive burglar, visualised), her father soon married again, Lisa inheriting a kind of wicked stepmother of the constant criticism kind, played by Carla Gugino, and a welcoming sister, Taffy (Liza Silverado).

But, Lisa is emotionally erratic, sometimes withdrawn, sometimes prickly, spending a lot of time in the forest, a cemetery where she sees the bust of a young musician from the 19^th century with whom she becomes infatuated.

And, unpredictably, it goes on from there, probably testing the patience of many viewers, tantalising others so much so that there are predictions that it will become a cult classic.

We are soon moving into Tim Burton territory, touches of Beetlejuice, memories of Edward Scissorhands with the Creature plaintively resembling a mute Johnny Depp as Edward.

The film is billed as a coming of RAGE film, the young musician struck by lightning and coming alive, billed as The Creature (played by Cole Sprouse), so, echoes of Frankenstein. Lots of complications as the Creature takes up residence in the house, hiding and sleeping in the cupboard, mute with several body parts missing. A possible romance, especially on his part, memories of his grief in his real-life, but Lisa with her eye on a sexual liaison with the editor of the school magazine who has praised her poems.

So, while the film works on this strange Frankenstein variation, it becomes very violent, The Creature impulsively acting on Lisa’s behalf, the death of her stepmother, the mutilation of her science lab partner who groped her, and increasing threats.

On the other hand, there is something lyrical about The Creature at home, gradually looking more human, acquiring more parts, the hand of the groper, able to play the piano, the stepmother’s ear, and (a critic suggested moving into John Waters territory) killing and castrating the would-be lover and taking his penis.

Complications at school, complications with the family, especially with the typical teenager new sister whom she catches with the editor.

What is Lisa to do, to live eternally with The Creature, going into the tanning machine, burning up – and a glimpse of eternity, The Creature reading to the reclining Lisa, a poem by Shelley.

One might say you couldn’t make it up – but Diablo Cody has, the cast is obviously very committed to it, and direction is by Zelda Williams, her first feature film after many music videos.

Cult classic? But it certainly is different!