I am a big dog lover! And when I saw the trailer for this flick, I knew I had to watch it. The catalyst for the whole story is a BIG dog named Apollo that is bequeathed to Iris (Naomi Watts) when her friend/ex Walter (Bill Murray) dies. Apollo is a Great Dane and Iris lives in a building where dogs are not allowed. And she isn’t really a dog person. So of course she takes the dog, and it changes her life. You might think that a movie about a big, goofy dog would be a family flick, but this one definitely falls within the adult realm for the themes it takes on.
Walter was a famous writer who had several wives and many girlfriends, one of whom was Iris, though they remained close friends after the affair ran its course, and she was working on a book of his letters when he died. But she’s also a writer with writer’s block and hasn’t been able to get much done for a long time, including that book of Walter’s. Apollo coming into her life shakes everything up.
From the start, it’s clear that Iris knows nothing about dogs. She can’t even recognize that Apollo is grieving the loss of his human. Of course, she is too, and she isn’t really dealing with that herself. But slowly she and Apollo come to terms with one another, even though the building owners nearly evict them. It’s a story of healing, and having a canine pal along on that journey never hurts.
Watts is her usual wonderful self, giving all she can to the grief stricken woman, and the dog is really lovable. But the script is a bit thin in places, and you end up not really knowing who Walter was and what the relationship she’s grieving was all about. It just feels like it’s missing some pieces of the plot. It is an adaptation, so maybe the book deals with it a bit better. It’s worth watching though. It is in theaters now, or better yet, put it in your queue and wait for it when it comes to your favorite streaming service. I think dog lovers with probably love it more than non-dog folks, but most people will understand the way that Iris is moving through her grief and how bonding with her enormous new furry friend helps.
In theaters now.