The Friend

The Friend
Starring Naomi Watts, Sarah Pidgeon, Carla Gugino, Bill Murray
Directed by Scott McGehee & David Siegel

Suicide is never an easy topic to discuss, but it's something millions of people think about - and follow through with - all the time. Many see it as the ultimate selfish act, ending your pain but leaving those you love the pain of not understanding what happened and why, but nothing is ever that cut-and-dry. I've seen memes out there (not the funny ones) that talk about suicide and its implications on those left behind, and one of them is truly moving - it says "don't kill yourself, your dog will wonder where you went." While many might see that as darkly humorous considering dogs aren't people, for anyone who's owned a dog - or loves animals in general - this is a major wake-up call for anyone contemplating ending things. Dogs are man's best friend, and they don't understand what happens when you don't come home (there's several videos of dogs laying at their owners' graves that are exceptionally moving), and ultimately it adds to the burden of your friends who are tasked with taking care of the dog once you're gone. That's the premise of "The Friend," but it goes even deeper than that.

Iris (Naomi Watts) is a successful author and teacher who's been friends with Walter (Bill Murray), a womanizing intellectual who's been Iris's best friend since she was his student in college, yet they never explored their friendship into romance (except, according to Iris, on one drunken night). Walter seems to have a lot of friends, family, and a Great Dane he discovers while out jogging he calls Apollo, but one night he chooses to end his life. Distraught by the event, Iris is further burdened when Walter's widow tells her that she must take care of Apollo now, as it was Walter's wish.

Iris doesn't want to take care of Apollo for a plethora of reasons - she's a cat person, she doesn't know how to take care of a dog, and her apartment complex doesn't allow for dogs - but she takes Apollo in until she can find a shelter to leave him at. Yet as the days go by and she can't find any openings, she begins to open up to Apollo and he to her, as they both share the grief of a friend.

First and foremost, as it is with any films involving cats and dogs, I will spoil it by saying the dog doesn't die and doesn't endure any physical trauma (it's basically the only trigger I have, as I can watch "A Serbian Film" on the daily while eating dinner but has only seen "Marley & Me" once and I can't go through that again). That being said, this film is a poignant, moving, and deeply personal tale of loss, grief, and stepping out of your comfort zone to bring solace to one another. It's a small film that will easily go unnoticed, but one that really focuses on suicide and how it impacts those left behind in a way that isn't heavy-handed but realistic, burrowing into your subconscious without you even knowing it.

Naomi Watts gives a commanding performance as Iris, who's tasked with taking care of her best friend's dog after his suicide. She's struggling in many aspects of her life - she has writer's block, her editing is hindered, and now she has to take care of a Great Dane while being constantly hounded by her apartment super who tells her she can't have a dog there. She's falling apart at the seams but is trying to hold it all together, and at first Apollo is just another hindrance in her life. Yet as the days go by and she notices that Apollo is also hurting, she opens up to the idea of keeping him or at least finding a great home for him, giving her a purpose beyond her pain.

Apollo - played by dog actor Bing - is exceptional. Directors say it's hardest to work with animals and children, but it seems Bing knew the assignment in a way that transcends a dog's knowledge of what's going on. When he first stays with Iris, his eyes are incredibly sad, and he spends all the time laying in her bed with a sweater belonging to Walter that still has his scent on it. It's downright tear-inducing, and Bing really pulls off a great performance for an animal. Dogs sense when things are wrong, and he knows that his master is gone, and the one he's with now doesn't want him around, and does a great job at portraying the lost feeling he's going through - and soon Iris realizes she's going through the same thing as well.

Dogs serve as service animals for many people struggling with depression because they offer unconditional love and support in ways that other humans are incapable of. Likewise, owners see their dogs as their best friends, and offer their own physical and emotional comfort for their animals as well. It's a great symbiotic connection that's the main focus of "The Friend," as both Apollo and Iris are there for one another to get through their shared grief and find a connection with each other.

The story flows like a slow current, but never feels wasted. At almost two hours, I was worried it was going to be too long with too little going on, but I was riveted from the first scene onward. Seeing Naomi Watts acting alongside Bing the dog was fantastic, and the supporting cast also gives it their all, especially Sarah Pidgeon as Val, Walter's illegitimate daughter who is dealing with the grief in her own way but is deeply tied to Iris.

As the film progresses it's clear Iris hasn't dealt with Walter's suicide in a healthy way, as she keeps things bottled inside without saying it out loud. This leads to a fascinating, moving, and utterly captivating moment where Iris puts to paper her feelings over Walter's suicide that reveals itself in the movie as the two of them talking about his suicide which showcases both Watts and Murray's acting talent in breathtaking fashion. 

Proving dog is truly man's best friend - and constant companion - "The Friend" is a moving tale of grief and dealing with the loss of a loved one in a natural way that doesn't hit you over the head but rather impacts you in subtle ways you won't notice fully until it ends.

The Score: A