“Year of the Dog” is not a Chinese movie. It is an American one, made in
southern California and riddled with nonsense. It is a leaden comedy, an insult
to audiences who stay in their seats in the hope that the writers may spring a
good surprise. They don’t. So why review it? Partly to save you from the
experience, partly to try to understand how anyone could have spent either money
or time in the making of it. It takes its place neatly at number three on my
list of worst movies – right after “Eight Heads in a Duffel Bag” and “Chicago
Cab.”
Both the
premise and the first twenty minutes are promising. Peggy (Molly Shannon) is the
office assistant to Robin (Josh Pais). She is the aunt of the two children of
her brother Pier (Tom McCarthy) and his wife Bret (Laura Dern). She is the
neighbor of Al (John C. Reilly), and the apparent soulmate of Newt (Peter
Sarsgaard). She is a barely tolerated intrusion in all their lives – no
emotional connection except with Newt who, sadly for Peggy, is gay.
Saddled with
this outsized inability to reach friends, co-workers, family, or possible
lovers, Peggy pours her love into her beloved beagle, Pencil. The great dog name
Pencil, by the way, is the most inspired note in this story. When Pencil dies,
we wait expectantly for a change of direction. Who will Peggy love? What will
happen to her at work? In life? The problem is this: when Pencil dies, so does
the movie.
The heroine,
who seems pathetic and unfortunate rather than engaging and eccentric, tries to
live with one terrible dog after another, plunges headlong into animal rights
causes, and ends up taking in 15 dogs who are about to be euthanized. The scene
of Peggy’s life with 15 hungry, salivating, badly behaved dogs in the living
room of her ranch house sums up the whole problem. The dogs run wild; one poops
on the hearth, the others shred pillows, pee on furniture, spill, break, knock
over and ruin everything in their path – all at breakneck speed and for a
prolonged period. The scene is heavy handed and elicits not laughter but an
involuntary groan of “Yuk.”
And the
others? John C. Reilly has a funny moment as a confirmed hunter whose walls are
hung with the trophy heads of animals he has killed. Brother Pier is moronic.
Laura Dern’s Bret is quite funny as the protective mother in full armor in a
non-stop monologue about parenting. If only there were a show to be stolen, it
would be taken by Regina King as Layla, co-office worker who wants to help
Peggy, to be her friend, and does her best to make it all happen. Layla’s spunky
spirit could have sparked a fine team effort, but unfortunately her wonderful
flair just makes her fellow actors and the script look pale.
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