I attended a sneak peak of a movie featuring Naomi Watts and Bill Murray about a Manhattan writer (Murray) and the wake he leaves behind when he dies, in particular, when he bequeathed his Great Dane, Apollo, to his best friend, Iris, played by Watts. The movie takes its time and uses silence and the non-speaking gestures and postures of Apollo to tell its story. It’s very much a snapshot of the world of writers and publishing and New York City and the grinding hassle of everything. It’s a “what’s next” kind of story that doesn’t get told because it is so solitary and searching and quiet. I loved it. After the screening, the author of the book the movie was based on, Sigrid Nunez, did a Q&A, discussing her experiences making this movie and her other books. She said that she was happy with the film adaptation of her work and had declined the offer to do a cameo, but her other books do appear in the publisher’s office when Iris discusses her book project. I came away wanting to meditate on the messages and experiences of the characters and feeling like I need to pick up the pace of my own creative endeavors. IMDB listed an August 2024 release date, but it appears to only be making the film festival circuit (and the now passed Beverly Theater sneak peak) and there’s no wide release/streaming date listed. Also, I was only able to find a AI generated trailer (pass!) and a film festival Q&A hosted by IMDB. Sorry.

[Movie viewed on 2021-11-21 at The Beverly Theater]

2025-02-13. UPDATE FROM THE FUTURE. I just encountered a trailer posted on YouTube, with a “In Theaters in the Spring” in the trailer, but no indication if this was Spring 2024 or Spring 2025… Keep your eyes posted… Here’s the Trailer:

Click the link to view film festival Q&A: https://www.imdb.com/video/vi549177625

Click HERE to return to My 2024 List of Movies I Watched in the Theaters

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Tags: 2024 movies, complicated relationships, friendships, independent films, movie review

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