Vienna dog

Director Todd Solondz (Welcome to the Madhouse) is known for his somewhat quirky, non-conformist films. He continues that tradition in his latest, Wiener Dog. In the episodic film, he follows a dachshund lady as she visits her various masters and mistresses, whose lives are given a little comfort and joy by the dog. First, Wiener-Dog comes to little Remi (Keaton Nigel Cooke), whose love for the four-legged friend has fatal consequences after a brief, enjoyable time together: After eating granola bars, the dachshund lady ends up at the vet to be euthanized. But Dawn Wiener (Greta Gerwig) knows how to prevent that. She kidnaps the dog from the clinic and feeds her up again. Wiener Dog now witnesses how her rescuer meets an old classmate (Kieran Culkin) and unceremoniously joins him on a trip to Oregon. After this adventurous trip, she ends up in New York with a washed-up screenwriter (Danny DeVito) who is still hoping for his big Hollywood break. And finally, Wiener Dog sits on the lap of a grumpy old lady (Ellen Burstyn) who gets one of those rare visits from her granddaughter (Zosia Mamet) - because she needs money for her boyfriend's art project, of course.

With plenty of black humor, profound satire and a touch of melancholy, Todd Solondz has directed a very unique piece of American arthouse cinema. Through the eyes of a dog, the viewer can take an unvarnished look at various facets of American society. The focus is not on slick ideals, but on people with flaws or those who are marginalized because of age or disability. Her stories are well-observed snapshots, filled with enigmatic dialogue and bitter humor.

This doesn't necessarily make for hearty laughter, but for an amused smirk almost throughout, only occasionally masked by a certain sadness. This is particularly evident in the episode where Wiener Dog lives in pain with the screenwriter wonderfully embodied by Danny DeVito. One look at the sad face of the man disappointed in life is enough to freeze any smile on the spot. But again, in his own unique way, Solondz manages to keep the viewer from falling into an emotional abyss by giving the episode a wonderfully wicked twist.

Admittedly, the film's humour is very particular and those who can't relate to the narrative pace, the somewhat artificial dialogue and the very unique visual language are unlikely to enjoy this very unusual journey of a dachshund. But if you have a soft spot for unusual auteur cinema, if you like abysmal humor and bizarre stories, you shouldn't miss this little arthouse gem. Absolutely worth seeing!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp