The Dog Problem

Despite its well-known cast of young Hollywood talent, The Dog Problem is yet another one of those decent-but-not-great romantic comedies that didn't warrant a theatrical release (it allegedly played for one week in Minneapolis before heading straight to DVD). Written and directed by actor Scott Caan (son of James), it's an amiable but somewhat aimless slice of lightweight entertainment focusing on a down-on-his-luck writer in Los Angeles named Solo (Giovanni Ribisi), whose psychiatrist (Don Cheadle) suggests he get a pet to cheer himself up. When Solo buys a smart little terrier, the dog leads him into a series of misadventures with, among others, a sleazy loan-shark (indie-film stalwart Kevin Corrigan), a rich and spoiled dog collector (Mena Suvari) who calls everyone "bitch", and a smart, sexy stripper (Lynn Collins) with whom Solo develops an initially awkward but mutually affectionate relationship. Caan himself plays a likable rogue as Ribisi's photographer pal (a womanizer who uses his studio as a seduction chamber). Employing a significant amount of improvisation and off-the-cuff filmmaking, The Dog Problem never wears out its welcome, but it's dripping with the kind of conspicuously mannered shallowness that's typically found in L.A.-based indie-films, and when Caan claims (in his waste-of-time DVD commentary with Ribisi) that he wants to make films "about the human condition," it's a little hard to take him seriously. Still, this sophomore effort (his second, after his well-received 2003 directorial debut Dallas 362) further suggests that he has potential, and if you like dogs, you'll definitely enjoy Solo's nameless little pooch—prominently featured in one of the most amusing walking-dog montages ever committed to film (and set, quite nicely, to the catchy hook of Missing Persons' '80s hit "Walking in L.A."). A strong optional purchase. (J. Shannon)