Review: ‘The Friend’ almost remains melodrama-free
‘The Friend’ depicts two characters coping with a friend’s suicide — his longtime companion and his dog.
Grief affects people differently, but it’s easy to forget that humans are not the only ones affected by the loss of a loved one. Many animals are very attuned to their owners’ emotions, attempting to comfort them through periods of sadness and responding in kind to expressions of joy. Therefore, when a member of their family — human or animal — dies, they may also experience a period of mourning, from which recovery can be difficult since they don’t necessarily understand the reason for their companion’s absence. In The Friend, a man bequeaths his dog to his best friend and they proceed to commiserate together.
Writers Iris (Naomi Watts) and Walter (Bill Murray) had a long and complex friendship that outlasted his many marriages. So, when Walter unexpectedly ends his life, Iris is at a loss to fill the significant gap his passing leaves in her life. However, unbeknownst to her, Walter has requested she care for his Great Dane, Apollo (Bing), in the event of his death. Not only is her small apartment not big enough for them both, but her building does not allow pets. Yet, as time passes, the pair gain an understanding of each other and what began as a burden becomes a path of healing – for both of them.
Directing team Scott McGehee and David Siegel have been tackling emotionally complex topics on screen for more than 30 years. Adapted from Sigrid Nunez’s book of the same name, the film depicts the complicated feelings generated when a loved one ends their life. While Iris is able discuss her reaction with others who knew Walter, Apollo is suffering his friend’s loss alone. As the pair are unwittinsgly thrust together on their grief journey, they eventually find common ground in how much they miss Walter and find ways to console each other in spite of their communication barrier.
Bing has a very expressive face and appears to be acting alongside his human co-stars. His sadness offsets anyone else’s on screen, causing audiences to empathize with him, perhaps even more than the human bereaved. That said, Watts gives a moving performance as an independent woman who finds the emotional support she unknowingly needs in an animal that shares her grief. Their conversations are naturally one-sided, but through their exchanges audiences watch Iris grow attached to and protective of Apollo, and he gradually agrees to let another person into his life too. In the meantime, she also has authentic conversations about Walter with his family and their mutual friends that don’t just revolve around guilt, anger or weeping as is often the case in these types of dramas.
Iris’ decision to write a book about the experience allows her to also be the film’s narrator, reading from her would-be story in voiceover and recounting moments from their shared history. Most interesting are her imagined post-mortem discussions with Walter in which they hash out issues, while he acknowledges he’s dead and can’t really contribute to their debates in the same way anymore. However, even though the picture resists overblown theatrics, it can’t seem to help itself at the end, creating a moment that’s both unnecessarily painful and a gratifying relief.
Directors: Scott McGehee and David Siegel
Starring: Naomi Watts, Bill Murray and Carla Gugino
