Laurie Anderson’s delicate essay film weaves together observations about her beloved rat terrier, Lolabelle, as well as post-9/11 life and, finally, the death of her mother.
Anderson’s longtime partner Lou Reed died in 2013, but Reed is glimpsed only fleetingly (and heard, movingly, over the credits). Instead the gentle narration is rooted in Buddhist notions of life and death, grief and affection, and salted with humor. “I want to tell you a story about a story,” Anderson says at one point, “and it’s about the time when I discovered that most adults have no idea what they’re talking about.”
The sections where Anderson describes the life, lovability and eventual death of Lolabelle are as sentimental as anything in “Lassie” or “My Dog Skip.” Anderson’s intelligence and sincerity make the tears honest and cathartic.