Recensioni degli utenti

• Watched at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on Sep. 11th, 2024 (First Watch)
• Format: Regular theatre

The story doesn't know what direction it's taking, which is why at most times it just keeps going on and on which feels like it's never ending and here comes the part where the watcher will feel the long and heaviness of its runtime which is not even long but it seems like that because of the slow and sometimes boring rhythm that the story has.

The dog is for sure the best part of the film. The way it was trained to showcase these emotions and use its body language to tell something is very impressive. I really didn't like the way the story approached Bill Murray's character as it felt very useless. The film to me is more like a story between a dog and a grieving person and not about a suicidal writer who died and left out a dog. It felt very chaotic in this aspect and it could've easily gotten more in depth in terms of this topic or showed a flashback that will support Bill Murray's character. Other than that, nothing more special but overall, a cute and warm film to watch!

Directors Scott McGehee and David Siegel adapt Sigrid Nunez's novel, starring a charming Naomi Watts and a Great Dane who stands out as one of the best canine actors of recent times.

A heartfelt and heartwarming drama about grief and the bond between pet and owner. A novel adapted with sincerity and commitment, it's a perfect drama that's well directed and well acted, drawing us into a study of the characters in all their layers, including a heartfelt performance by a dog who steals the show.

It's a perfect exploration of the profound drama of the loss of a loved one, equated in two parallel worlds: that of an animal and that of a person. This dynamic makes the film a constant journey through the intensity of grief, but also through the shortcomings of a protagonist who invites us on a journey through her healing as we immerse ourselves in a magnificent and adorable love story between a dog and a human. This film leaves its own mark, avoiding the typical dog movie we're accustomed to.

It's a well-known story that man's best friend has won that ground. It's a film that dares to explore a dog's deepest sorrow for his owner and his own grief-healing process. Magically portrayed by our friend Apollo, whose wide gaze and size fill us with grief and joy at the same time, we can even sense his own personal interpretation of the canine drama he brings to the screen-an absolute visual impact.

It's a film that offers a moving, funny, humane, and unforgettable story about friendship, loneliness, grief, and love in all its layers. A pleasant and sweet journey in a correct and sincere adaptation of the novel in question. It becomes an irresistible experience that anyone who has ever loved a pet must see.

The supporting cast is excellent, and of course, Murray nails it, making his few scenes shine. New York City has never looked better, thanks to cinematographer Giles Nuttgens.

Bleecker Street hits the nail on the head with the layout of this little indie gem.

Reuniting St Vincent (2014) stars, Bill Murray and Naomi Watts, The Friend is a heavy, emotional tale that deals with death, suicide, and perseverance.

Positives +Naomi Watts knocks it out of the park!

+Apollo the Great Dane is a cute pup actor.

+Scene voiceovers switch between characters +Thorough plot that examines all aspects of the story +A bit of creative fantasy

Negatives -Multiple "False endings" scenes. You think the movie is over, but then another scene appears. Again. And again.

-Felt too long with the above endings.

-A lot of characters thrown in at once, but not explained until later.

This movie had me crying in my seat. The connections of suicide, survivors guilt, regrets, and family were heavy. But your connections to these topics could increase or decrease your enjoyment. Buckle in for a long, but fulfilling journey.

-GremlinLord615 -Full Reviews on my YT.

I Cannot understand why this movie got a lot of negative reviews. It's idea was pretty understandable after the get go and the developments were also pretty predictable, but it is a movie with a lot of hurt. And one big Danish dog, with such sad eyes.

I liked the duality of the friendship in this movie. From one side Iris lost her best friend and she is chasing his memory through several channels. From the other side, she got another friend instead. One that doesn't need to talk for expressing his feelings, but you can understand exactly what he means, without even opening his mouth.

The details reveal slowly and after all layers are peeled, we are staying with a woman and a dog. And a problem. The twist almost doesn't exist, actually, but the movie's heart is in the right place, and it still manages to get his audience to get excited and maybe even weep.

Bill Murray is almost nowhere to be found, except in the poster of the movie, to attract the attention of potential audiences. But after reading the accusations about him, probably would be better to remove his figure from the movie's poster and leave the stage to both actual main heroes of this movie.

Naomi Watts is absolutely fantastic in this movie. What a comeback after a long time without any good projects, which she had participated in (Penguin Bloom was the last time she had a good performance - it was in 2020). She is accurate and very convincible in a role that is not so easy to perform.

Constance Wu, Carla Gugino and several other fine actors and especially actresses are participating in this movie, that is not any massive news to drama genre, with sub-genre of man's best friend, but it is definitely a good one, that is worth watching.

I really enjoy Noma Dumezweni in everything I've seen her in, and she was just as great here. The cast overall was surprisingly stacked-so many recognizable faces, and I kept having those "Oh hey, it's that person from..." moments. Everyone delivered strong performances, even the Great Dane.

We learn a lot about Bill Murray's character through the dog. Choosing a Great Dane was a smart move, there's something about that breed's presence that made the conversations around Walter and who he left the dog to feel more substantial. I don't think those same scenes would've hit as hard if it had been, say, a small poodle.

I'm not a huge dog person, so I imagine dog lovers might connect with this more. That said, I liked that the film didn't lean too heavily into sadness, despite being about grief it didn't feel too mopey. Still, I didn't feel particularly moved by it. Emotionally, it didn't hit me, but I thought it was fine overall. It's not just a story about a dog; it's also a quiet reflection on friendship, loss, and how people cope. The first half has some genuinely funny moments too.

The pacing is slow, and it doesn't really build to a traditional climax. It just sort of ends in a way that feels... fine. Not underwhelming, just gently satisfying.

During the Q&A, it was fun hearing the director talk about what it was like working with a Great Dane. I wish I had gotten to see the dog myself, but apparently, it's still adjusting. Maybe the folks attending tonight's or the Saturday Q&A will get lucky, would've been cool to see just how big it really is in person.

A classic definition of a "guy flick" is one in which many people die very rapidly - the corresponding definition of a "chick flick" is one in which one person dies very slowly. "The Friend" is a variation on the latter theme in which a major character (Murray) dies at the outset of the film, and most of two hours is spent depicting how his widow, his ex, his daughter, his dog, and his best friend/protégé/ex lover (Watts) and the dog Apollo (a gigantic Great Dane) slowly come to terms with that death. The production values are excellent. The acting is magnificent. The pacing is tedious. Seeing it once was more than enough.

Watched the Friend at NYFF among an appreciative and applauding crowd. It is a multi dimensional story of grief where we don't know whether the human is supporting the animal ot is it vice versa.

We try to understand Walter's character thru interactions of his near and dear ones. Iris is a complicated character poignantly played by Naomi Watts.

But at the end it is Apollo who helps everyone find their way in life.

The backdrop of NYC where the story is based also shot was amazing. It has its own character as Iris and Apollo go thru their daily life among the teeming millions.

Finally a great shoutout to the dog playing Apollo. One of the beat animal acted movies.

While on vacation in Hollywood (ooh la la) I obviously had to see a movie. Funnily enough, I chose the most "New York" movie out there. THE FRIEND is a drama based on a book by Sigrid Nunez about a writer named Iris (Naomi Watts). Her best friend Walter (Bill Murray) commits suicide, leaving her to deal with the grief of the loss, his many exes, and a Great Dane called Apollo. Living in a tiny apartment building, her landlord is urging her to move out because of Apollo. This dog is a huge scene stealer, very expressive and such a good boy. Yes he is. He reminds us that he's grieving right alongside Iris. They start to bond, even though she's not a dog person. This movie shows how one person can affect the people around them in different ways. There are thought-provoking and fascinating conversations that take place here. Taking control of your life can look like a variety of things, small or big. Apollo could be seen as a metaphor for a few things, depending on who's asking. THE FRIEND will resonate with dog-owners and everyone who has experienced loss, which is probably most people.

I just left the theaters about 25 mins ago.

This isn't typically the kind of movie I would watch in the theaters. But I have Regal Unlimited, and I was bored at work; I therefore went to see this one. I like dog movies, and Naomi Watts usually stars in quality films. I also think that Bill Murray can be funny

I didn't know much about the plot before getting in the theater. As a result, I got struck by how somber the movie is; the film explores some very dark themes. I guess I was expecting some light-hearted comedy because of Bill Murray and the dog. But it's not that kind of film

Regardless, I can appreciate a mature drama, and there's some good acting at times from Naomi Watts. The story, basically, is that her best friend, Bill Murray, passes away (which happens very early), and she ends up getting his Great Dane dog.

The movie, I think, is too dry or boring. There's not much drama or excitement. Infact, the main conflict in the plot is that Naomi Watts isn't allowed to keep dogs in her building, so she has to figure out what to do. I found this plot thread to be a little weak because the film shows that Bill Murray left behind a wife and an apartment where the dog can stay. The wife's explanation for not wanting to keep the dog isn't credible or believable

In addition, I didn't find any character to be likable or memorable. Naomi Watts, who is a great actress, plays a character who is so mundane, nondescript, and vanilla. The movie's theme centers on friendships, explored mostly through Bill Murray and Naomi Watts' relationship; yet I don't think the movie does a great job of explaining the friendship between them; we don't quite get a sense of how close they were.

I think the movie has too many characters. Some characters are unexplored (e.g. Bill Murray's daughters and wives), some of them feel random (e.g. Naomi Watts' therapist), and some of them I'm not sure who they are (e.g. Constance Wu and Josh Pais' characters)

There are some charming moments involving the dog, of course. But the dog's charm falls by the wayside early in the film. The emphasis is less on the dog's personality and more on how the dog represents Bill Murray and his relationship with Naomi Watts. The dog mostly sits on the bed or walks with Naomi Watts throughout New York City

4.5/10.

I went in expecting a sentimental story about a woman and a big dog, and while that element is definitely there, The Friend surprised me with how layered and restrained it was. Naomi Watts gives a really thoughtful performance-quiet, a little distant, but grounded in real emotion. And Bill Murray, though only present in flashbacks and memory, adds a lot of warmth and depth to the story.

What really worked for me was the tone: melancholic without being heavy-handed, and gently funny in places without trying too hard. The relationship between Iris and the dog felt believable-not overly cute, just human and strange and a little awkward, like grief often is.

The trailer made it seem like a straightforward healing-through-pet story, but the film is more reflective than that, and it lingers in your mind afterward. Some scenes felt a little slow, but overall it earned its quiet pace.

Definitely worth seeing if you're into character-driven stories that give you space to feel without telling you how.

I snuck into this film and had a good time with about 18 people. The best thing about it was enjoying all the NYC locations and identifying all the local actors. Bill Murray is Walter, a successful author with three ex wives. He dies early on and his latest wife Barbara (Noma Dumezweni) insists on dumping his hulking 150 pound harlequin Great Dane, Apollo, to college professor and former fling Iris (Naomi Watts). Of course this is an insane notion as she is in a rent controlled apartment inherited from her father. So we see her looking up states that accept such beasts. Nothing ever clicks. Guess what happens? It's a lovely film with great music, ending with "I'll Take Manhattan" at the closing credits. The repeated views of our bridges are breathtaking, as is always the case when they appear on film. After reading an article about the dog and all the training it took to get him camera ready, I had to see the film and purposely hung around for the one screening my multiplex had. I saw two people I knew in a scene. Ann Dowd is on hand as the sympathetic neighbor that Iris pals around with, further soaking up the running time. This is a two hour film that feels like two and a half. So much could have been cut. The sympathetic building super Hektor (Felix Solis) is way too featured, which is annoying. I do love the gorgeous Carla Gugino and Constance Wu as the discarded wives. Watts is fine and mostly wears nerdy clothing to indicate her studious nerd personality. Sarah Pigeon is okay as Walther's daughter Val. It's a cute fim, just a little long for what it is. False endings abound, and we get a completely bogus health scare for Apollo thrown in because the filmmakers think audiences are stupid and naive.

This film really should have been a slam dunk, but somehow it manages to be overly long, barely sentimental or emotional, and lacking in any real connection with the characters.

The basic premise is that Naomi Watts inherits a giant great dane from her friend and mentor, and struggles to connect with the dog and look after it. What follows should be a sad and poignant yet heartwarming journey as owner and dog open up to each other and learn things along the way. Instead, the characters remain at a distance. The journey just isn't there for any of them really. What transformations and revelation Watts' character has are so surface level and sparsely explored, that they really don't make much of an impact.

As a result, the film feels very repetitive, static, and just overly long. There really is no real reason why this film had to be 2 hours long. It's a reasonable runtime if it was used effectively, but it just didn't deliver what it should have done emotionally.

It's a shame because the performances are all good, and the dog is lovely (even if he does have an oppressively sad face), so the foundations are all here. Unfortunately it just fails to capitalise on any of this, resulting in a rather drab and dare I say boring film.

It's a comedy-drama set in modern New York City and Long Island. Iris (Naomi Watts) is a novelist and creative writing teacher at Columbia University. Her mentor and one-time lover, Walter (Bill Murray), is a well-known writer and teacher who has recently committed suicide. Iris has been editing Walter's correspondence for a book, together with Walter's daughter, Val (Sarah Pidgeon), who is not the child of any of Walter's three wives--Elaine (Carla Gugino), Tuesday (Constance Wu), and Barbara (Noma Dumezweni). Also central to the story is Walter's elderly Great Dane, Apollo (Bing).

"The Friend" follows Iris's efforts to work on the book project, learn to care for Apollo after Barbara foists him on Iris, and deal with her unresolved feelings about Walter. Apollo provides much of the film's comedy, while the psychological drama emerges from Iris's sorting through her responses to Walter's suicide. Some of the movie's strongest segments occur in her psychiatrist's office and a resolving imagined conversation with Walter. Her relationships with Walter's four other primary women are also very effective. Naomi Watts does a fine job. I wish the scriptwriters hadn't chickened out and altered the story's conclusion from the novel; it would have been stronger with Sigrid Nunez's ending. That dropped it a point.

I saw this one as my $1 rental thanks to my "Diamond" status on Xfinity. In this one Naomi Watts stars as the reluctant new owner of a Great Dane, bequeathed to her by her friend (and ex-lover), Bill Murray. Naomi Watts is very good, but the real star is "Bing" who plays "Apollo", the Great Dane. He does a great job, and it is easy to see how Naomi Watts character falls in love with this giant dog. Bill Murray is good as usual along with the rest of the cast including Noma Dumezweni and Carla Gugino. The movie is not a great as some of the critics say, but it is still very good and recommended for fans of drama, with a bit of pathos and comedy thrown in. 7/10.

This movie is about writers, but the real interesting part is about the dog and the part he plays.

Bill Murray is Walter, he is jogging one day in Brooklyn, along the river, when he sees this Great Dane, Apollo, sitting alone on a hill with no apparent collar or identification. Apollo becomes Walter's companion.

One of his close friends, and formerly a bit more than that, is Naomi Watts (who also is Executive Producer) as fellow writer Iris. She lives in a small, rent-controlled apartment that doesn't allow dogs. At least not yet!

So, right after Walter's untimely death everything points to Iris as the new caretaker of Apollo. This presents a number of difficulties that drive the rest of the story in this movie.

My wife and I watched it at home, on DVD from our public library. It is a refreshingly good movie, in this day of mostly mediocre movies. Watts and the dog are both very authentic in their roles.

It is too bad that the film could not merit a higher rating than the six stars I give it. The current rating of six point eight stars is, I think , exactly what it deserves. The locations and cinematographic ( a strained word if ever I encountered one) composition were really good and carried the movie along nicely. The characters in every case are well developed and used sparingly, just the right level of their involvement in the screenplay. Naomi Watts never falters in her delivery, really superp. With all of that said so much of the movie lacks the impact it might have had had it been 1.) shorter than its two hour run time , it needed a better editing and 2.) the story is at its root less about the dog and more about emotions of grief and loss. The dog is played up too much but it's what some will come to see the movie for. The dog is a metaphor for something different. I will let you see the film and decide for yourself. However there is a scene in the last twenty minutes that me find the film more than worthwhile.

OK I read the book and this movie is only very loosely based on it. But that is never a knock on a film for me ; they are two different things. Is it true to the book ? , well maybe not. I can tell you this, despite its shortcomings this film gave me a much better understanding and appreciation of the point of the book , movies can do that sometimes and this one, for me at least, did that.

Having watched this, I want to read the book. The story is very simple, and beautiful. The adaptation is well done, in that the movie is very competently executed, the cinematography is on point, the score is nice, and so on.

A beautiful book, turned into a beautiful story, competently executed, what's not to like?

To like this, you must like dogs and books. If you despise intellectuals, it wont work, as all the protagonists are writers, and ofc, that big ass Dane. What a beautiful dog.

Bill Murray looks almost dead, and it's beautiful that he's making such movies at this stage of his life.

Everything dies, and how we cope with loss is a universal theme.

I didn't want to watch this film because I don't like films with dogs ... I worry what will happen to the dog.

But the first line narrated as the film starts says "I know you are worried about what's going to happen to the dog" (or something of the kind) It hooked me. The writing is really good in this story. The actors are superb, of course, and the story is a very realistic portrait of life, loss, suicide, grief, and the anger of being left behind.

I laughed, I cried, then I laughed again and cried all over. I couldn't stop watching the unfolding story of this lady and her enormous dog in NYC.

I watch so much stuff I get to the point where I've seen it all - can't take another series about drugs, money laundering and violent gangs -. But this film really surprised me and kept me glued to my screen with delight and heart felt emotion.

In co-writers / co-directors David Siegel & Scott McGehee's long, sedate NY drama "The Friend" literature prof / writer Bill Murray kills himself, leaving his Great Dane Bing (beautiful) to best friend Naomi Watts (solid) rather than any of his three widows (Carla Gugino, Noma Dumazweni, & Constance Wu) or daughter Sarah Pidgeon - despite Watts not being into dogs, and her apartment building (with neighbours like Ann Dowd) not allowing them. Watts & Bing bond though, as threads of grief etc are slowly pulled. The audience for such fare may be limited - but that audience (as well as dog lovers) should be satisfied... for others though it'll be a heavy plod.

I had read that this movie had a bit of a convoluted plot, and I wondered whether or not to bother give it a chance. I, being a pet owner (on and off) most of my life decided it was worth taking the chance on and gave it a shot, which I am very glad I did. It is a heart-touching movie on many aspects and deals with a few important issues dealing with life, not just that of a dog but of our own mortality; and I am certainly pleased enough with this movie to bother going through the necessary steps to write this review.

Bill Murray is what really sold me on seeing this movie too; having grown up watching his comedies and enjoying his eclectic sense of humor for decades.

I have to be honest, the older I get the less I'm a Bill Murray fan. He's not an actor so much as a Hollywood celebrity. He shows up in films and basically plays the same character and has zero range, in my opinion.

First of all, I didn't buy or find him very believable as a professor and lauded writer married to all these fabulous women. Hogwash. Bologna. Didn't buy it for a second.

The dog is cute for about 5 seconds and then the whole movie is centered around the dog, her relationship to this genius writer, who was clearly a womanizing vapid character.

Usually, I love Naomi Watts and she's watchable, but the overall tone of this film is so depressing and quite frankly a bore.

Grief and a lingering sadness permeats and is the underlying tone of this film. There are so many things I could site specifically, but overall, it's such a borious, tedious fail for me. What a crap movie. Small moments that are flattering and watchable but overall, such rubbish.

I wish they had cast someone else other than Bill Murray. Save your money and go see 'Bob Trevino Likes It'. Leagues above and beyond this slice of grief pie. Crapola! :(

'The Friend' isn't a bad film; it's just an unnecessary one.

We've seen variations of this shaggy dog story before: the protagonist unexpectedly inherits a dog and let's watch as they slowly bond and become besties.

What distinguishes 'The Friend' is that it's a more adult take on the concept, elevated by Naomi Watts and her co-star Bing the Great Dane.

The film is based on a 2018 best-seller by Sigrid Nunez which won the National Book Award for fiction. The much-loved book features inner diaglogues with explorations on loss, grief, life, companionship & hope. These nuanced forays into the human condition are hard to convey in a two-hour film.

Naomi Watts plays Iris, a college professor and writer whose life takes a turn with the suicide of her mentor Walter and the unexpected news that he left her his lumbering Great Dane Apollo. Iris isn't really a dog person and her rent-controlled apartment building has a strict no-dog policy.

Much of the action takes place in New York City and on-location filming gives the film a feeling of authenticity like a bagel and cream cheese.

Bill Murray is...Bill Murray in a pivotal supporting role, and that's a good thing. There's a stellar supporting cast including Carla Gugino, Constance Wu and Annie Fox.

There's nothing specific I didn't like about 'The Friend' but didn't find anything compelling enough to recommend.