The Dogwalker

I saw this at the Santa Fe Film Festival while volunteering, and I'm really glad I stayed and watched it! I really like the idea of dark, tarnished characters and Diane Gaidry's portrayal of a women trying to leave her past behind and start fresh was very compelling. She does find redemption in a very non-trivial way

Jaques Thelemaque and Diane Gaidry are a husband and wife team that are finding their voice as filmmakers through this story of Ellie, a quiet, lost woman who is searching for her path in life. In this, their first feature, they achieve storytelling of a much more mature level than most first features. How wonderful to explore the hope that animals provide us; we so often take that for granted. Pamela Gordon gives a wonderful, gritty performance. No nonsense with her. Such a loss when she passed away in real life. Go see this film, and watch for future films by Jacques Thelemaque. Look up Diane Gaidry. She's been in countless films recently as an actress, and recently won an award!

Simply, a beautiful film. Moody, affecting, character-driven. No, it is not aesthetically or narratively ground-breaking, but it's not about that. It's about subtle moments and nuanced observations. It's about a clear directorial vision unafraid to look into humdrum lives and give them attention and meaning in a skillful, moving way. There's plenty of metaphor and layered subtext, but there is also a very elegant, melancholic simplicity. Refreshing.

P.S. I just tried to send this comment and it is telling me I need to write ten lines. Geez, I think the film is great, but I wasn't planning on writing a novel about it. I guess IMDb gets a lot of suspicious activity - between this little tool and the secret ratings curve, it's tough for the little guy to have an impact on this site. I admire their desire to keep the site from being abused, but without real humans to whom you can discuss issues or appeal the ratings or anything else, it winds up creating a headache for indie filmmakers. Too bad.

This is a film that reminds us that what films are supposed to be about - compelling stories and characters. It didn't have a massive budget or a huge production. Certainly it could have been more 'polished' by Hollywood standards. But is that the point? Or is it the point that you go in and you forget about your own life for a couple of hours and get pulled into the lives of these two women? If it's the latter, then this film succeeds beautifully.

Fine performances from both human and canine and subtle, even-handed work from both the director and director of photography.

Please, go see this film. Not just to support independent cinema, but because you'll probably like it.

Saw it last night and loved it. It was very simple with interesting characters, and it had a wonderful message about healing broken pasts. Great- even if you don't love dogs! So many times in film like this, it seems people over act. But Gordon and Gaidry are subtle with depth. Beautiful shots of LA and even a bit of ironic humor. I loved this film.

They had a Q&A at the screening I went to last night, it seemed like the entire audience really enjoyed it. The director, Jacques Thelemacque, and the actress, Diane Gaidry were both there. They were so very warm in person. Although the amount of love put into the film was obvious from the beginning, it was even more so after hearing them speak. I look forward to seeing more of their work!