Darling Companion (Lawrence Kasdan, 2012): USA

Reviewed by Lulu Yamaguchi. Viewed at Santa Barbara Film Festival.

There are so many movies tells about animals. I found one fact. When dog is main character, a story tend to sad story. I dislike to watch these kind of story because it is too hard to watch they die at the end of the movie. Darling Companion mocked my theory.

Beth (Dian Keaton) found a dog on a freeway when she drives with her daughter. She decides to keep the dog and names Freeway. Beth and her husband, Joseph( Kevin Kline) takes Freeway to their country house with their relatives for celebrate their daughter,Grace’s (Elisabeth Moss) wedding. After Grace and her husband departs honeymoon, Beth and others stays country house a while to enjoy their vacation. It is surrounded nature in deep forest. Joseph misses freeway when he takes it walking because he is talking on the phone. Beth, Joseph, Penny(Dianne Wiest), Russell( Richard Jenkins) and Bryan( Mark Duplass) look for freeway in the forest. They even try psychic mysterious lady, Carmen’s(Ayelet Zurer) help.  The searching doesn’t make any progress…Beth blames Joseph why he couldn’t stop think about working all the time.

While freeway was missing, the family argue a lot. however they found what is important between them going through this experience. Freeway gives them a chance to discuss their issues.

The casting is really great. I am a big fun of Dian Keaton. She often acts talkative role in movies. Beth is also. She is still elegant and cute at the same time, even though she gets angry and blames her husband. Kevin Kline, Richard Jenkins and all other supporting actors help the movie fun. Especially Richard Jenkins’s performance was awesome.

A storyline is very simple. There are so many movies talk how people solves family issue.  This is ordinary story. probably you won’t find any new view through this movie. That’s why I think people can watch this film without any thought and just enjoy it.