The Friend (15)

New York novelist and writing teacher Iris is devastated when her erudite mentor, Walter, commits suicide and leaves behind various female admirers and an unusual bequest: his Great Dane named Apollo. Iris lives in an apartment that doesn't allow pet residents so she is forced to find a new home for her unruly four-legged inheritance. As she spends time with Apollo and treats the animal as a confidant, Iris becomes emotionally attached to the hulking pet.

LondonNet Film Review

The Friend (15) Film Review from LondonNet

A dog’s unconditional love is a balm to unresolved grief and simmering rage in a heart-tugging drama comedy written and directed by Scott McGehee and David Siegel. Adapted from Sigrid Nunez’s novel, The Friend opens with the prosaic inner monologue of New York author and writing teacher Iris (Naomi Watts) shortly after her erudite mentor (Bill Murray) has taken his own life and left devastation and bewilderment in his wake…

Iris recalls some of the writing tips that informed his critically acclaimed work – beware the obvious detail, embrace disorder – and McGehee and Siegel’s script abides by these rules, resolutely avoiding shameless emotional manipulation in a sombre closing 20 minutes to rival the tear-stained resolution of Marley & Me. Watts’ sympathetic and understated lead performance is enriched by her on-screen double-act with hulking four-legged co-star Bing, who delivers silent, mournful stares with aplomb.

The film’s tug of war between comedy and tragedy is delicately balanced when Iris and the great Dane vie for supremacy inside her apartment (no treats for guessing who comes out as top dog.) When the narrative ventures outside for walkies, reminiscence and other diversions, including a well-meaning intervention by Iris’s neighbours to prioritise her own wellbeing over a pet, the tonal imbalance becomes pronounced.

Iris (Watts) is devastated at the suicide of her philandering best friend, Walter (Murray). At work, colleagues offer sympathies in passing, which Iris pithily describes as “drive-by condolence”. Walter leaves behind current wife Barbara (Noma Dumezweni) and her two predecessors, Elaine (Carla Gugino) and Tuesday (Constance Wu), legions of adoring fans and his beloved six-year-old great Dane, Apollo (Bing), which he adopted after stumbling upon the stray during a morning run in the shadow of the Brooklyn Bridge. Unflattering headlines about “that misconduct nonsense”, which abruptly ended Walter’s teaching career, are forgotten to concentrate on an enviable back catalogue including the novels Hagerstown and The Wavering, and the tantalising promise of an unfinished work.

Iris is bequeathed the unpolished final manuscript as well as Apollo. “You were his contingency plan,” Barbara confides. Unfortunately, Iris lives in her late father’s rent-controlled apartment and the tenancy agreement forbids pet residents. Building superintendent Hektor (Felix Solis) repeatedly warns Iris that keeping her unruly 150lb inheritance risks eviction, even for a short while until she can find a suitable animal shelter. As Iris spends more time with Apollo and treats the animal as a confidant for her grief and professional woes, she becomes emotionally attached to the hulking canine.

The Friend is a tenderly observed study of loss and regret, elevated by heartfelt performances and wry dialogue (“He’d have loved seeing his three wives stuck on a tiny boat together!”) Several supporting characters feel undernourished. Tellingly, Bing says more with a disdainful stare or full-bellied howl.

– Jo Planter