"Letter to True" is a painfully ponderous and highly personal documentary about the filmmaker/photographer Bruce Weber and his dog True. Narrated by the distinguished British actress Julie Christie and the fascinating pop singer Marianne Faithful, it’s a career low point for both of them.

Billed as Weber’s "personal valentine to golden retrievers,’ the film touches upon cinematic relationships between humans and canines.

It’s playing at the Gene Siskel Center on Saturday (Jan. 8) at 7:30 and 9:00 p.m.; Sunday (Jan. 9) at 5:30 p.m.; Monday (Jan. 10) at 7:45 p.m.; and Tuesday (Jan. 11) at 6:15 p.m.

Bruce Weber has taken some great photos, and made some fine videos for the Pet Shop Boys. He’s also made some first class documentaries such as "Let’s Get Lost," a look at the tragic, doomed jazz trumpeter, Chet Baker, and "Broken Nose."

"Letter to True" is his weakest effort. The film connects up material that doesn’t go together very well through the artificial device of a letter addressed to his dog. But the links are tenuous, and the narration is heavy handed. The film is so lifeless that it is difficult for anyone besides the creator to get anything out of it. It’s like watching the home movies of an unusually dull dog lover.

Some of the material includes sappy scenes from a Lassie film featuring Elizabeth Taylor, and footage of Elizabeth Taylor phoning a man who is dying of AIDS. There are lots of lit up, romanticized shots of Weber’s dog, which try to elevate him to the level of a deity. I felt like I was being tortured the whole time the film was on. This 78-minute film seemed longer than "Berlin Alexanderplatz."

"Letter to True" should be avoided at all costs. Watching paint dry while you’re blindfolded or listening to Jim Nabor’s music would be a better use of your time.