| I know what you’re thinking, do we really need another must-love-dogs romantic comedy? Thankfully, contrary to marketing attempts, “Darling Companion” is not a romantic comedy. It’s more like an outdoor adventure, relationship dramedy, mystery. Unfortunately, it did start as if it was a romantic comedy. Mother and daughter were annoyingly commiserating on the problems of finding a good man. Then they found a dog and met a cute doctor. | | 2012
Directed by: Lawrence Kasdan
Screenplay by: Lawrence Kasdan and Meg Kasdan
Starring: Diane Keaton, Kevin Kline, Richard Jenkins, Dianne Wiest and Mark Duplass
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Elisabeth Moss (left) and Kevin Kline (right) star in DARLING COMPANION,
an Alliance Films release. |
I was squirming in my seat faster than they could say “I do.” But then something funny happened on the way to the wedding. The boring romantic comedy angle was already wrapped up and they dropped the beleagured jokes comparing man to dog. And then the film became a fairly simple but enjoyable treatise on the relationships and world views of a handful of family members and close friends.
To me, the movie starts when Beth (Diane Keaton)’s dog goes missing. Her husband, Joseph (Kevin Kline), lost it, but he doesn’t care. He only likes his money and telling people that he’s a doctor. But his practice is just going to have to wait because she’s not going home until they find Freeway (the beautiful Collie-mix Kasey). She is helped by Carmen, an exotic sex-goddess who freely admits that she’s a psychic gypsy blessed with receiving images of the lost dog. Nephew Brian (Mark Duplass) likes Carmen; he does not like his future step-father Russell (Richard Jenkins). Russell pretty much likes everyone and everything. Joseph doesn’t like the dog and he especially doesn’t like alleged gypsy psychics leading his family on wild goose chases.
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| A scene from DARLING COMPANION, an Alliance Films release. |
The older members of the audience were laughing first, but eventually a little bit of humour in the form of funny lines came through. Kevin Kline was hilarious as the irritable elitist insulting hippie ideals and alleged gypsy psychics. The dialogue was quick, astute and savvy in navigating all the characters towards happiness in their relationships.
If you can equate the search for the missing dog as a mystery, then it would be worth comparing this film to Woody Allen’s “Manhattan Murder Mystery” (1993). A delightful discussion on relationships set to a mystery plot. It doesn’t hurt that the cast includes a couple of Allen regulars (Keaton and Dianne Wiest).
It takes awhile to realize that this is not a dull romantic comedy, but if you’re looking for a mature, heart-warming relationship dramedy, “Darling Companion” eventually finds its way.
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