Displaying items by tag: Tom McCarthy

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?