All bite, no bark

>> Year of the Dog has a
dark and disturbing edge

by MALCOLM FRASER

The tone of the film is very bizarre. There are strong echoes of Mike Judge’s amiably subversive Office Space in the satirical scenes of Shannon’s corporate job, but also a heavy dose of Todd Solondz misanthropy in the grotesque characterization of everyone in the film. Shannon gives a very brave performance; only Amy Sedaris can equal her willingness to appear supremely unattractive. Peter Sarsgaard is equally bold in his portrayal of a flaky, sexually ambiguous, animal-adoption worker. They both bring humanity and sympathy to what could have been cruel one-joke caricatures.

White’s directorial intentions are hard to grasp. The audience at the press screening I attended was thoroughly confused; they started off laughing at the broad characters and situations, their laughter gradually becoming more and more uncomfortable and then tapering off completely as the film became darker and darker. I shared their bewilderment; it wasn’t clear if White was subverting audience expectations, or just couldn’t figure out whether he was making a comedy or a drama. His mise-en-scène, in which the actors frequently stand motionless in the middle of the frame à la Wes Anderson or Napoleon Dynamite, takes away any sense of realism the story might have and adds to the general sense of unease.

Year of the Dog is thoroughly unlike any film you’ll see this or any year, especially out of Hollywood, but I can’t wholeheartedly vouch for it as a good film per se. If a less sadistic Solondz sounds appealing, then by all means go for it. But those who go based on the fluffy preview, or because they enjoyed Shannon on SNL, or like dogs, risk being dismayed if not disturbed.

Year of the Dog opens this Friday, April 27

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