Wiener Dog

"Wiener-Dog" (2016 release; 90 min.) brings the story of a wiener-dog as she is passed on from caretaker to caretaker. As the movie opens, we see someone drop off Wiener-Dog at the shelter, and in the very next scene, a dad surprises his young son, a cancer survivor we are told, with the gift he's always dreamt of: having his very own pet. Unfortunately, the dog must first be house-broken and that is easier said than done, to the desperation of both the young boy and his parents. Then one day, the boy feeds granola bars to the dog, upsetting the dog's stomach... At this time we're not even 15 minutes into the movie but to tell you more would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.

Couple of comments: this is the latest project from independent writer-director Todd Solndz ("Welcome to the Dollhouse", "Dark Horse"). Here he bring perhaps his most accessible story yet: how a cute-looking, just plain adorable, wiener-dog goes from household to household, where we get a glimpse of those people's lives. There are essentially 4 unrelated stories with Wiener-Dog as the common thread. The movie is helped immensely by, of course, the cute looking dog, but equally so by a number of stellar acting performances. In the first story, the young boy reminded me of Fred Savage, Wonder Years-era. Julie Delpy plays his mom. In the second segment, Greta Gerwig thankfully stays MILES away from her usual Diane Keaton-like NY young neurotic woman, and instead gives a wonderful turn as the seemingly lost young woman. Gerwig plays it with a vulnerability not previously seen from here. In the third segment Danny DeVito plays the lead, while in the last segment, Ellen Burstyn reminds us why she still has the acting chops. I must admit that I knew next-to-nothing about the film prior to seeing it (other than it featured a really cute dog), and I was very pleasantly surprised by it. It is billed as a 'comedy', but frankly, I don't think it was a comedy at all (there certainly aren't any laugh-out-loud moments in it). Instead it is a peek at ordinary people's lives, including their struggles and insecurities. And how many movies have you seen lately where there is an actual (if short) intermission? Yes, indeed!

"Wiener-Dog" premiered at this year's Sundance Film Festival to great acclaim, and Amazon Studies (yes, them again) snapped it up right away. The movie opened this weekend at my local art-house theater here in Cincinnati, and I couldn't wit to see it. The Friday early evening screening was attended so-so, and I can only hope that this had to due with the picture-perfect weather we are enjoying here today. If you are interested in a slightly off-center movie about ordinary people's lives, including having a cute dog, I'd suggest you check this out, be it in the theater or on Amazon Instant Video (simultaneous release), or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray. "Wiener-Dog" is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

It's really a good movie. I can't stop watching it twice at a time. You can find both you,your family,your friends,your neighbor, all of us,in it. It's actually 4 dogs in 4 different stories,which I thought to be 1 dog the first time I watched it. Maybe the only thing characters sharing in common is that they all raise a wiener dog. Its name is wiener-dog, but has not so much to do with it, dog is not main character. People all have their problems, towards living and death.In this movie it shows to us.Maybe you have parents less responsibility; maybe you are losing hope to life,and miss nothing in your place; maybe you're suffering from your career-used to be successful but now nothing; maybe you're facing life ends. It shows us stories in dramatic way, kind of interesting,and also sarcastic. Many scenes impressed me a lot, quite interesting. It's a movie for people who go through life or have their own life thoughts. There is no happy ending, but you won't feel too bad maybe.It's really good.

I went into this thinking it was a sequel to Welcome to the Dollhouse; I guess it technically is but it has greater concerns than letting us know what happened to Dawn and the rest of the WttD crew so adjust your expectations accordingly.

The movie is broken up into 4 parts, each part focusing on a different owner of the titular Weiner-dog.

The first part was my favorite, about a young boy struggling to understand his dog's place in the world. It is sweet and funny and I was incredibly nervous about what would become of the dog since I did not know the movie would take on a 4 chapter structure.

The second part reunites the Welcome to the Dollhouse characters Dawn and Brandon. Greta Gerwig's performance was a little strange and there were some distracting continuity issues and cutting. In fact, the entire movie had very distracting moments of editing, usually cutting back and forth from character to character for each individual line. It's very jarring, particularly because the moments without dialogue are usually portrayed in long takes.

There is an intermission, it is fantastic.

The third part is the weakest. It focuses on Dave, a screen writing professor, who is struggling to sell a script. It drags on a bit long and ends with a punchline that doesn't really have a ton of punch.

The fourth part is a bit more surreal, and feels more similar to his recent movies. It focuses on an elderly woman whose daughter comes to visit. Then takes sort of a bizarre turn in its second half.

I walked away from the movie thinking it was great but feeling terrible.

Overall, Todd Solondz continues to be one of the most interesting filmmakers out there. I feel like he's definitely making the kind of movies he wants to be making: quiet comedies reflecting our superficial, pathetic, and delirious culture packed with incredibly uncomfortable conversations and situations; I just think his previous work is more interesting.

There is a scene in (Danny DeVito) Dave Schmerz's office which shows a movie poster for Dave Schmerz's "Apricots". The poster is clearly based on Woody Allen's "Bananas".

There were lots of little things like this in this movie, just thrown in there but not brought explicitly to your attention.

One of the reasons I appreciate Solondz.

I found this movie very enjoyable and satisfying. It is, though rather subtle about it, a comedy... though many plainly fail to see that. Frankly, I expected something more dry and dark. I ended up feeling really glad I had gone.

Many small things to notice and appreciate, and some very good acting all around. Some genuinely poignant moments sprinkled throughout. There were also a few little digs at recent films... twice a shot of the boy reclining which recalled "Boyhood", and the 'Intermission' plainly mocks "The Hateful Eight"

You probably have to 'get' Solondz, and know what to expect. DO NOT go in expecting a wacky pic about a kooky pup. But if you do get his stuff, I say this is his best since "Happiness"

This movie is divided into 4 parts, with the only red thread being that the wiener-dog is present in all of them.

About a bunch of pretty odd characters and initially it reminded me a bit of Wes Anderson's work but a bit more darker comedy.

The first part is pretty good with Julie Delpy (amongst others) but the second part is my favourite, with Greta Gerwig and Kieran Culkin I really wish their part was the whole movie they were so good together and I missed them greatly when their part was over. Or maybe continued with the disabled brother played by Connor Long and his girlfriend, those were also really charming.

The third part is a bit of a drag, with Danny Devito as a professor in film-school but it has it's moments even though it doesn't compare at all to the first 2 (especially the second) so the feeling is underwhelming.

The fourth part I didn't like too much either, with Ellen Burstyn and someone who plays her daughter and (douchebag) boyfriend (I don't know their names and I don't think based on their performances here are names worth remembering).

So yeah although initially the feeling was good while watching this the third and fourth act just sort of ruined the party.

If you're a dog-lover and want to watch it for that reason then perhaps this is the wrong movie to pick as the dog is rarely put in the forefront here, especially in the third and fourth act where he just pops up from time to time.