>>REVIEW
Starring Molly Shannon, Peter Sarsgaard and John C. Reilly
Directed by Mike White
Opens Friday, May 4
Despite or perhaps due to my own unfortunate childhood experiences with a misanthropic poodle, the portrayal of dog ownership in Year of the Dog, the directorial debut of accomplished screenwriter Mike White, strikes me as both compelling and a little bit tragic. The film begins as an uncommonly sensitive portrayal of the grief experienced by Peggy (Molly Shannon) when a rather unpleasant fate befalls her most trusted and faithful companion, a beagle named "Pencil," in her neighbour’s backyard. But it quickly morphs into an offbeat little character study about obsessive behaviour in a variety of forms.
Granted, it would be easy to castigate Peggy as a pathetic loner who is incapable of healthy social interactions with other humans. She’s far from a wholly likeable protagonist, which gives her enough nuances to deserve our attention, especially when she becomes perhaps overly zealous about the animal rights movement, for example, or when she proudly presents a plate of vegan cupcakes (oh, yum) to her startled co-workers. Yet, the fact that Shannon is allowed to play the character for the occasional laugh helps to draw us, almost unwillingly, into her narrow world.
Year of the Dog succeeds admirably in its portrayal of the subtle changes that Peggy undergoes in her quest to transform her grief into something functional. Unfortunately, it falters somewhat in its one-dimensional supporting characters (played by the likes of Laura Dern and Peter Sarsgaard), and in moments where Peggy’s dramatic arc takes on a greater trajectory than the film can support (such as when she violently confronts her neighbour, a sort of affable Elmer Fudd-type played by John C. Reilly, about his affinity for hunting). And despite what it may say about the personal lives of the PETA crowd, it hasn’t made me any less excited about the prospect of one day having a furry friend to call my very own. |
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