MY DOG TULIP

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Co-directors Paul and Sandra Fierlinger take a graphic novel approach to adapting to film J.R. Ackerley's 1956 novel, about his transference of human interaction onto his dog Tulip. The result is a somber and contemplative study of a disenfranchised British man's journey of self-discovery via the bodily functions of his female dog over a period of 14-years.

Okay.

Hailing from an "old bean" mentality of English stoicism, Ackerley (represented wonderfully by Christopher Plummer) goes about his daily rituals that revolve exclusively around Tulip. Ackerley is especially obsessed with Tulip's bowel movements to such a heightened degree that some viewers will wonder at the sanity of our lonely protagonist.

When that fixation turns to finding a dog that can impregnate Tulip, the story slips into a deeper level of unconscious confusion about sexuality, both canine and human.

"My Dog Tulip" is a revealing document of a particular brand of post-war psychosis inhabited in the mind of a witty and patient writer who diligently puts down on paper every detail of his experience without so much regard for what the reader might surmise about the author.

The audience comes away with a way of looking at a troubled world. The author never resorts to religion or fad-of-the-day platitudes. Everything is physical, even if it must pass through a canine filter. Although "My Dog Tulip" is an animated film, it is specifically an adult experience.

Not Rated. 85 mins.