The Year of the Dog

No, I'm not talking Chinese astrology but the 2007 Mike White movie starring Molly Shannon, Peter Sarsgaard and John C. Reilly. As usual, another Sundance favorite although it's not really one of mine.

Molly Shannon (more depressing than neurotic for a change) plays Peggy, a woman whose social life revolves around her beloved dog Pencil. When her fury friend dies, she start re-evaluating her life and decides to allow some hairless males into her life, the kind who walk on two legs. However, she soon realizes she needs a fluffy fellow as well and goes down to the local animal center where she meets Newt (male, semi-fluffy and homo sapiens) and Valentine (big bad pouchy). They all bond until things take a nasty turn. Dum dum dum... In the end, Peggy has become a full fledged animal rights activist so some good has come of it.

This movie has a lot of potential, quirky characters, interesting plot and a lot of heart which is basically what kills it. Mike White himself, is also a vegan and animal rights activist as more people should be but sadly, his directorial debut is suffering from some slight ideological overkill. His admirable views on both subjects slowly but surely hold this otherwise well-written film in a lingering stranglehold, making it seem more like a twisted recruitment video than fiction.

The Year of the Dog may be White's first venture behind the camera but he has had plenty of experience in front of it. Bedises acting, his main purpose in life is writing odd, semi-endearing and pretty flaky movies like Orange County, School of Rock and Nacho Libre. It also gives him a chance to work with his best bud Jack Black. Seeing as I'm living with a die hard Black fan (nobody's perfect) I gave these unconventional movies a try. They're not bad but I wouldn't go as far as calling them good either.

So why would I want to see a movie by a man with such a peculiar track record? Well, his last more "dramatic" venture was the splendid Sundance favorite The Good Girl which was funny (in a bitter sweet way), heart felt and had more emotional complexity than all this other movies combined. Who would have thought, the man is actually pretty talented. Together with director Migual Arteta (with whom he also created the"unique" Chuck and Buck), he was even able to get Jennifer Aniston to act, go figure. The woman is actually able to be someone else than Rachel when she puts her mind to it, sadly it doesn't happen often.

Aniston plays Justine, a woman with a dead end job at Retail Rodeo and an even worse husband (coincidentally also John C. Reilly). When Holden, the ever so baby faced Jake Gyllenhaal, starts working at the Retail Rodeo things start to look up. He's young, granted, but he hates life almost as much as she does. Their friendship evolves into a sinister and sexually complicated concoction that is oh, so good. Smiley happy people they surely ain't but real characters trying to make the best of things opposed to surreal struggles of Nacho, the masked luchador.

Anyway, despite his ambiguous resume, I haven't given up on White just yet. He may have written some mediocre movies but every once in while he is able to tap into his talent and when he does, it's good. Real good.