Jason Gann shot a short film and it got turned into an Australian TV series. The short film made it into Sundance and now it’s an American TV series starring Elijah Wood. Yes, Jason Gann is living the dream.
Wilfred is a dark comedy about a depressed out-of-work lawyer named Ryan (Wood). One night after attempting to kill himself his cute neighbor Jenna (Fiona Gubelmann) asks him to watch her dog, Wilfred. However, where Jenna just sees her dog, Ryan sees an Australian man in a dog suit (Gann). To Ryan, Wilfred is a pot smoking, alcohol drinking, conniving, manipulative dog who often gets Ryan into trouble, but also helps Ryan come out of his shell and start living his life again.
With Wilfred as his new best friend Ryan’s life isn’t always easy. Whether picking fights with bullies (Ethan Suplee), making the whole neighborhood hate him or trying to trick Jenna into breaking up with her jerk boyfriend (Chris Klein) Wilfred always insist he has Ryan’s best interests at heart, but does he. Cause Ryan seems to get into more trouble with Wilfred’s help than he ever did before.
There are two things that really make this show work. The first is Elijah Wood. One wouldn’t expect him to do a TV show like this. He really is a fantastic actor and his performance here is so consistently great you never question their relationship. The other side of this coin is Jason Gann. What’s really great about his performance is how well he balances playing a dog and playing a guy in a dog suit. On one hand he’s an evil manipulative bastard and other times he chases after bubbles or a laser pointer because, you know, he’s a dog and he can’t help himself.
Wilfred is a very dark and extremely original show. It’s very high concept but if you can accept it as easily as Ryan has then you’re sure to be delighted and surprised by some of the places this show will take you.
This show is presented in 1.78:1 widescreen and 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio. This is a very well shot show and it looks great. The audio is very well mixed as well.
Wilfred at Comic Con 2011: (6 min.) Fans ask silly questions of the cast and crew. Typical Con stuff. Deleted Scenes: (15 min.) Really these are more extended scenes, but there is some good stuff here. Mary Jane Mash-Up: (1 min.) A montage of pot smoking. Wilfred & Bear: A Love Affair: (1 min.) A montage of Wilfred having sex with Bear. Life After Film School with Jason Gann: (10 min.) A show where three film school students get the chance to sit down with a professional film person and ask what appear to be spoon fed questions. This was all kind of annoying and contrived.
Wilfred is a very dark but very entertaining original show with fantastic performances by its two lead actors. The show also has a slew of great cameo appearances. It might not be for everyone, but for those who get it, they’ll get a unique television experiences.
Fox Home Entertainment presents Wilfred: The Complete First Season. Created by: Jason Gann, Adam Zwar and Tony Rogers. Starring: Elijah Wood, Jason Gann and Fiona Gubelmann. Running time: 286 minutes on 2 discs. Not Rated. Released: June, 16, 2012. Available at Amazon.com.
