3.5 stars out of 5
I’ll tell you what the ads won’t: Bill Murray is barely in this movie. His presence is in the movie, but the physical Bill — not so much. So if he’s your only reason for seeing it… don’t.
For everyone else, this is a solid, slow-paced, grown-up movie about grief, loneliness, self-motivation, love and its absence, and dogs. Specifically, the key role that pets can play in our lives.
Naomi Watts is superb as a single teacher/writer who reluctantly adopts her late friend Bill Murray’s Great Dane Apollo. Enter big dog in tiny New York apartment. And if Naomi wasn’t already dragging her feet co-editing (with Murray’s daughter, played by Sarah Pidgeon) his collected correspondence, caring for moody Apollo doesn’t help. Oh, and as the super keeps reminding us, dogs are not allowed in the building!
Pidgeon stands out as an emotions-on-the-surface, bouncing-through-life young person who might see a parental role model in Watts that she didn’t get from her own folks. Carla Gugino has a nice turn as one of Murray’s former wives (two divorces and a widow) who has held some hurt inside. Young Owen Teague is working up a nice acting résumé but is only in a couple of scenes here as one of Watts’ students. There is even less screen time for one of my fave filmmakers, Tom McCarthy (as a therapist).
The movie is emotionally complicated — perhaps even overcomplicated. I did not read the book by Sigrid Nunez, but based on this and the movie adaptation of her novel The Room Next Door, I’m guessing she’s had some experience with dying friends. I’m a fan of writing/directing team Scott McGehee and David Siegel from What Maisie Knew and Montana Story. And though I don’t feel that The Friend is quite as good as those films, they again keep things feeling true-to-life and humane (society).
being underrated is overrated
Jack Silbert, curator