The Friend

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.

• 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!

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 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.

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.