Wiener-Dog’ explores identity, death
The star-stuffed flick dives deep into mortality.
he dog, who goes by multiple monikers throughout the film (most notably while under Ellen Burstyn’s ownership as “Cancer,” a lil joke not lost in the trailer), is the pinnacle of canine chill. It’s unclear exactly how much time passes from the start till the end of Wiener-Dog, but there’s no evident markers in the titular character’s fluctuating vivacity. Throughout, Wiener Dog (easier to call it than listing every single iteration) remains calm and, somehow, a powerful beacon of empathy. But keep in mind this comes from the point of view of a person 98 percent more likely to greet a dog before its human.
em>Wiener-Dog’s star-studded cast includes Danny DeVito (above), Julie Delpy, Greta Gerwig, Tracy Letts, Zosia Mamet, and (my secret — even to him — boyfriend) Kieran Culkin, among others. The characters and respective story lines don’t necessarily all stitch together neatly à la Love Actually (a good thing, TBH), the occasional interweaving of story lines, especially between Letts and Gerwig, lends an immediate, refreshing self-awareness to the film.
??Its narrative arch matches the owner’s phase of life with the chronological order of the movie. A small boy (recovering from an unnamed Very Bad Health Condition) guides Wiener Dog through short-lived, homebound adventures in the beginning. This gives way to 20-something Gerwig whisking the pup from a dark fate to join her and My Boyfriend on a tense road trip, ending with yet another new home for Wiener Dog (and some problematic hand-holding I’ll be sure to bring up with My Boyfriend at a later time). A middle-aged DeVito comes to acquire the dog next, and finally the aging, cynical Burstyn.
embed-1DeVito plays a jaded film professor (Dave Schmerz) at a New York City school, coming to grips with his severe unpopularity among students and faculty alike, coupled with Dave’s own DOA career writing scripts. His health deteriorating, he clings to the companionship with Wiener Dog, who, like seemingly everything else in Dave’s life, cannot stay. I won’t give spoilers, but their parting is a brightly emblematic representation of the dichotomy of personal upset and narcissism.
asting for Wiener-Dog was very well done, primarily when pairing Burstyn as a shut-in grandma and Mamet as her starry-eyed, slightly delusional granddaughter on the hunt for money to fund an apathetic artist boyfriend’s installation work. Their conversation happens with realistic fluidity, capturing both the discomfort of such estranged relationships as well as their inherent tenderness. Mamet slays with a moment of vulnerability as Burstyn cuts a check, only to immediately slam shut the window she’d opened to allow real connection with her grandmother. That, sadly, too, comes off as very genuine.
iener Dog doesn’t so much serve as the main character throughout the movie of the same name. More than anything, the short-legged being serves as an ironic thread of humanity, stitching all these other humans’ stories together. The animal is a reminder of the fleeting nature of life, particularly when it comes to life itself.
a class=”wiki external” target=”_blank” href=”http://plazaatlanta.com/” rel=”external”>Wiener-Dog. Four stars. Directed by Todd Solondz. Stars Danny DeVito, Ellen Burstyn, Greta Gerwig, Tracy Letts, Zosia Mamet, and more. Opens Fri., July 1. The Plaza Theatre, 1049 Ponce De Leon Ave. N.E. 404-873-1939. plazaatlanta.com.