Darling Companion Serves Up Dog’s Breakfast!
By ALAN SAMUEL
Warmth and charm must have been a valiant attempt for the film makers of Darling Companion, a new release from Alliance Films. Despite a quality adult cast this film gets bogged down in a hurry despite a promising start. Check out this release at the 5th Avenue Cinemas if you don’t mind slow moving affairs whose actors get caught in a bit of a squeeze.
Family problems lie at the heart of Darling Companion. Folks may think the title just a touch deceiving as the main focus of this 103 minute effort is a dog. Lost at first and found this canine provides the catalyst for a family on a collision course. Headed by Beth and Joseph this couple literally comes to near blows as their new-found pet drives a wedge between their marriage.
Veteran actors Diane Keaton (The Godfather) and Kevin Kline are cast in the central roles of a couple who find themselves at loggerhead when Fido goes missing. All this occurs at a snowy retreat and much is made of the search, aided by their extended family who are on hand for a wedding of sorts.
Director Lawrence Kasdan co-wrote this story with his wife and you don’t really appreciate that many of the characters here. Though the film starts out in a promising way it gets bogged down when it’s central theme, a lost animal, simply consumes too much screen time. Yes, you see the problems in the husband/wife relationship explode but the attempts to find the dog are way too contrived and become boring.
Bolstered by a good veteran cast including Richard Jenkins and Diane Wiest there simply is not much of an interesting story here which makes it a tedious process to sit through.
