'Wiener-Dog': The central dachshund is more of a linking device than a character
Todd Solondz鈥檚 dark comedy 鈥淲iener-Dog鈥� follows the life of a dachshund as she moves through the lives of her various owners, all of whom are, in various ways, cracked. The mordancy of this movie will not surprise Solondz devotees, but unknowing audiences expecting a raunchy teen comedy from the film鈥檚 title should be forewarned. This is not 鈥淎merican Pie鈥� in a kennel.聽
The dachshund is dauntless but more of a linking device than a full-fledged character (and she has less to do with the movie as it ambles along). Her first owner is a sickly boy whose parents (played by Tracy Letts and Julie Delpy) grow increasingly exasperated with the pooch鈥檚 potty habits. Then it鈥檚 on to gawky Dawn Wiener, who was a character 21 years ago in Solondz鈥檚 鈥淲elcome to the Dollhouse.鈥� She鈥檚 played by Greta Gerwig, the It Girl of the indies, and she renames the dog Doody. Eventually we get to Danny DeVito as a burned-out film school instructor and, in the best episode, Ellen Burstyn as a crotchety crone. The poignancy of her shut-in life dissolves the film鈥檚 deadpan ditherings. Grade: B- (Rated R for language and some disturbing content.)
