Los Angeles Times Focuses on Cosmo

In the Los Angeles Times, Susan King’s article “Who's that adorable dog in Beginners?” rightly turns the spotlight on Cosmo, the Jack Russell terrier who plays Arthur in the film. Even better the piece includes a profile of Mathilde de Cagny, his dog trainer and human companion. Unlike some dog actors, who are called on (and trained) to perform tricks, Cosmo just is in Beginners. This realistic performance was important for writer/director Mike Mills.

The goal was to have the dog part of these people’s lives and part of the relationships… For me the key part is that Oliver doesn’t treat him as someone who is cute or mentally less than himself. He is trying to treat the dog with … full personhood while trying to understand the dog much like he is trying to understand his father. In a lot of ways, he’s the ghost of the father, and they share a lot of qualities.