*My capsule review of Dogman was originally published on Film Inquiry as part of my first report from Film Fest 919. Click here to read the original post and check out more great reviews from this awesome site!*
I’m not sure what I expected from Matteo Garrone’s Dogman, but it certainly wasn’t this. Even as the story unfolds, it’s often difficult to tell where the film is headed and where this character might end up. This seems like a compliment, and it really is in some ways. Garrone creates a character who exists in two very different worlds, who seems to be stuck somewhere between a normal life and a profoundly unpleasant existence. It’s a fascinating basis for a character study, but as the story goes down dark roads, the grueling violence and relentless unpleasantness takes a toll.
The character in question is Marcello, played by Cannes Best Actor winner Marcello Fonte. Marcello is a veterinarian, and it’s clear that he really does adore animals. He treats them with such kindness and warmth, taking every opportunity to compliment their beautiful appearance and obedience. Marcello has a daughter (Alida Baldari Calabria), and he loves her dearly, taking her on trips to the Maldives and holding her close whenever he can.
Marcello is also a cocaine dealer. Life is hard in this crumbling region of Italy, so it’s understandable. But he’s also friends with Simone (Edoardo Pesce), a brutal force of nature with the appearance and demeanor of Robert De Niro in Raging Bull. Why is Marcello friends with Simone, especially when it’s obvious that he’s nothing but trouble? It remains unclear, yet the dog groomer is fiercely loyal to his friend.
From this basic setup, Dogman seems determined to see just how far Marcello can be pushed. With a character built on a foundation of contradictions, it's easy to see why Fonte took home the top acting prize at Cannes. Marcello makes the wrong choice over and over and over again, but the film's greatest accomplishment is that he still seems like such a genuine, good-hearted person. In one memorable scene, an associate of Simone laughs as he tells Marcello that he just threw a barking dog in the freezer during a home robbery. Of course, our protagonist marches right back to that home, saving the poor chihuahua from the brink of death.
Garrone also has a sharp eye for how to shoot this particular area of Italy, as the aesthetic is practically drained of any color or energetic visual flourish. With a strong vision behind the camera, Dogman thrives on Marcello's uncertain loyalties for a while, delighting in the war he's constantly waging deep in his mind. But I think the film pushes too far in that direction, to the point that it almost feels cruel and sadistic. By the time all is said and done, this is like a Yorgos Lanthimos picture gone terribly wrong.
Even with such an intriguing setup, Garrone's resistance to any semblance of logic or reason on Marcello's part is troubling. And when the violence and nauseating absurdity reach a fever pitch, the more serious elements feel like a farce, stuck at the mercy of a film that just wants to push buttons. Maybe the nastiness of the endeavor is actually brilliant. Maybe I'm just missing the point. But I really do think Garrone's chosen arc for Marcello results in a lesser version of what this could have been.
THE FINAL GRADE: C (5.4/10)
Image courtesy of Film Fest 919
Poster: Magnolia Pictures/IMDb
I’m not sure what I expected from Matteo Garrone’s Dogman, but it certainly wasn’t this. Even as the story unfolds, it’s often difficult to tell where the film is headed and where this character might end up. This seems like a compliment, and it really is in some ways. Garrone creates a character who exists in two very different worlds, who seems to be stuck somewhere between a normal life and a profoundly unpleasant existence. It’s a fascinating basis for a character study, but as the story goes down dark roads, the grueling violence and relentless unpleasantness takes a toll.
The character in question is Marcello, played by Cannes Best Actor winner Marcello Fonte. Marcello is a veterinarian, and it’s clear that he really does adore animals. He treats them with such kindness and warmth, taking every opportunity to compliment their beautiful appearance and obedience. Marcello has a daughter (Alida Baldari Calabria), and he loves her dearly, taking her on trips to the Maldives and holding her close whenever he can.
Marcello is also a cocaine dealer. Life is hard in this crumbling region of Italy, so it’s understandable. But he’s also friends with Simone (Edoardo Pesce), a brutal force of nature with the appearance and demeanor of Robert De Niro in Raging Bull. Why is Marcello friends with Simone, especially when it’s obvious that he’s nothing but trouble? It remains unclear, yet the dog groomer is fiercely loyal to his friend.
From this basic setup, Dogman seems determined to see just how far Marcello can be pushed. With a character built on a foundation of contradictions, it's easy to see why Fonte took home the top acting prize at Cannes. Marcello makes the wrong choice over and over and over again, but the film's greatest accomplishment is that he still seems like such a genuine, good-hearted person. In one memorable scene, an associate of Simone laughs as he tells Marcello that he just threw a barking dog in the freezer during a home robbery. Of course, our protagonist marches right back to that home, saving the poor chihuahua from the brink of death.
Garrone also has a sharp eye for how to shoot this particular area of Italy, as the aesthetic is practically drained of any color or energetic visual flourish. With a strong vision behind the camera, Dogman thrives on Marcello's uncertain loyalties for a while, delighting in the war he's constantly waging deep in his mind. But I think the film pushes too far in that direction, to the point that it almost feels cruel and sadistic. By the time all is said and done, this is like a Yorgos Lanthimos picture gone terribly wrong.
Even with such an intriguing setup, Garrone's resistance to any semblance of logic or reason on Marcello's part is troubling. And when the violence and nauseating absurdity reach a fever pitch, the more serious elements feel like a farce, stuck at the mercy of a film that just wants to push buttons. Maybe the nastiness of the endeavor is actually brilliant. Maybe I'm just missing the point. But I really do think Garrone's chosen arc for Marcello results in a lesser version of what this could have been.
THE FINAL GRADE: C (5.4/10)
Image courtesy of Film Fest 919
Poster: Magnolia Pictures/IMDb
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