内容摘要：Which is good for business and, oh by the way, probably unnecessary.

Which is good for business and, oh by the way, probably unnecessary.

One might expect that two unexpected dance sequences would be the standouts in a film, but “Armand” has another. It’s also a release, in a way. After a while of back and forth, debates, reveals and non-starters, Elisabeth breaks out into uncontrollable laughter. This stretches on for several agonizing, astonishingly impressive minutes of mad exertion. It’s really quite an acting marvel from Reinsve — and everyone else in the scene watching it all play out. A broken fire alarm that goes off sporadically helps keep the atmosphere nice and tense, as does Asja’s random nose bleeds that always seem to derail pivotal decision-making moments.“Armand” engages in some stylish wheel spinning, broken up by some revelations and cathartic moments. And yet every time you feel like you have a grasp on the situation, something else arises that seems to undermine it. Ambiguity and inconclusiveness can be satisfying in cinematic storytelling, but this feels a little too underbaked either way. Ideas are introduced and abandoned, or not fleshed out well. Why, exactly, has she stopped working, for instance. And what’s the story behind Anders’ and Elisabeth’s relationship? It’s a promising debut from Tøndel, nonetheless — a film that will keep you engaged if not entirely satisfied.

“Armand,” an IFC Films release in theaters Friday, is rated R by the Motion Picture Association for “sexual material and some language.” Running time: 116 minutes. Two and a half stars out of four.Having it all means different things to everyone, but a rent-controlled apartment in Manhattan is probably pretty close to a universal dream — even for non-New Yorkers. It’s easy enough, then, to understand the profound conundrum facing Iris (Naomi Watts), a writer and professor who suddenly finds herself with a 150-pound Great Dane wardNot only is her place a mere 500 square feet, but it’s also one of those pesky buildings in which dogs are not welcome. Not even the cute, well-behaved ones.

Dog lovers may find the choice simple (perhaps it should be) and the apartment rules cruelly restrictive, but this is a single woman living a writer’s life in one of the most expensive cities in the world. And now she’s grappling with the idea of saying goodbye to a major part of her identity because her dear friend and mentor Walter (Bill Murray) died without leaving behind a plan for his beloved dog Apollo (Bing). Or perhaps that’s not entirely true: Iris was the plan. Walter just didn’t tell her that before he killed himself. She’s not even a self-proclaimed dog person.The film is an adaptation of

of the same name, made by filmmaking duo Scott McGehee and David Siegel (“What Maisie Knew”). Its appeal isn’t mysterious — it’s a classic New York movie about the most romantic New York profession, writing, with actors like Murray and Watts (and Bing) leading the charge.

These are characters who’ve lived lives, too. Walter died a celebrated but problematic author, known for his womanizing and multiple marriages. He left behind not just Apollo but three ex-wives (Carla Gugino, Constance Wu and Noma Dumezweni), a grown daughter (Sarah Pidgeon) not conceived in wedlock and a misconduct accusation. Iris and Walter also had a dalliance at one point, but settled into a friendship — his deepest, we’re told.. But have you given thought to what containers you’ll use?

You might be planning to buy rimmed trays, peat pots or compartmentalized plastic flats, but they’re not your only options. With a bit of imagination, you can easily upcycle items you already have while keeping trash out of the landfill and your money in your wallet.If you have a coffee maker that uses K-Cup-style plastic pods, don’t discard them after brewing. Instead, peel off their foil covers, dump out the used coffee grinds and remove the paper filters underneath. The pods are the perfect size for starting seedlings, and can be washed, disinfected and reused from year to year. You’ll notice the machine even poked a hole in each pod’s bottom for drainage.

Most other small plastic food containers, such as single-serving yogurt cups, clamshell-type salad packages or egg cartons, are also well-suited for starting seeds -- as long as you’veYou can even make seed pots from sheets of newspaper. Much of today’s newsprint uses soy-based ink, which is generally considered non-toxic, suitable even for starting edibles.