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HOW TO KILL YOUR NEIGHBOR'S DOG Send This Review to a Friend
The title is provocative, but it is somewhat misleading for this often very funny and sometimes tender gander at a curmudgeon whose acerbic wit and skepticism obstruct his ability to relate to aspects of life that afford the happiness that being a pain in the butt can't provide.
The man in question is Peter McGowan, a Los Angeles playwright, portrayed entertainingly by Kenneth Branagh, who provides a twinkle with his amusing, biting remarks. He and his wife Melanie, charmingly played by Robin Wright Penn, are at odds over the subject of having children. She desperately wants to become pregnant, he shudders at the prospect and is in wry form as he stands behind the doctor and shares his view during a gynecological exam investigating Melanie's status. McGowan couldn't be more delighted when the results are negative.
McGowan, in need of a new hit, is thoroughly involved in rehearsals and re-writes for a production of his latest play. The director is spacey, the leading actor is wrapped up in his ego and the theater sweeper thinks he's a critic. Life is complicated by McGowan's senile live-in mother-in-law, portrayed by Lynn Redgrave in a way that emphasizes both the sick humor and the poignancy of the situation.
Things get even more complicated when a woman moves next door with her slightly handicapped daughter Amy (Suzi Hofrichter). Melanie is eager to have a child in their midst and extends the welcome mat, much to her husband's chagrin at first. But McGowan and Amy strike up a friendship that brings out the gentler side of him. Amy focuses on him as the only person who has confidence in her instead of being overprotective like her mother.
The film tries to cover too much. A stalker of McGowan uses his name, and, not very credibly, the two get to know each other and have confrontational conversations. Also, while Branagh as McGowan handles the eye-opening friendship with Amy warmly, he is a lot more fun when he's abrasive. This is especially true in a television interview scene sending up such talk sessions, with McGowan giving the pretentious woman interviewer an uproariously rough time.
Oh yes, there is a neighbor's dog that barks incessantly making McGowan wish it were dead. The annoyance strikes a chord with me, as a neighbor of mine has a dog that barks during the night and leaves me with hostile thoughts. But title aside, here is a film that offers many clever lines and droll situations along with its dose of sentiment, all adding up to offbeat entertainment with pleasures that outweigh the cons. An Artistic License Films release.
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