Dog Years

Co-writers and co-directors Warren Sroka and Brent Willis also star in Dog Years, playing estranged stepbrothers who meet up in Tokyo, where they attempt some sort of uneasy reconciliation. Elliot (Willis) is a morally and physically exhausted businessman who abandons a failed relationship back in the U.S. and loses himself in Tokyo's busy, overcrowded urban center. Plagued by sleeplessness and depression, Elliot struggles through the days and does not relish reconnecting with his puppyish brother Ben (Sroka), who teaches English at a local school. The two are able to hurdle old obstacles (Elliot essentially hates Ben, who moved with his mother into their father's house too soon after the death of Ben's mom) long enough to travel a bit in the country and meet up over drinks and dinner. But beneath the show of fraternal ties lies a powerful undercurrent of hostility that ultimately surfaces. Combining a solid narrative with an interesting visual portrait of modern Japan, this is recommended. (T. Keogh)