Dogman

Marcello Fonte's award winning performance which totally convinces as the doting father dealing coke on the side and in so doing so has made one of his customers, Simone (Edoardo Pesce), a hulking beast of a sociopathic bully, into a true monster. Something utterly devoid of charm, empathy or indeed a single redeeming quality. The 'dogman' however, through his actions, is a morally ambigous character. On the one hand, he's a loving, devoted father to his daughter. He shows a warmth, affection, empathy and understanding towards the dogs in his care, who are sometimes agitated. On the other hand he bears a great deal of responsibility for making Simone into the coke addled monster that he is. Questions are opened up about the nature of evil, how it arises and what it is that prevents evil from taking hold. I think the film invites us to consider what we live our lives for - do we live solely in order to serve ourselves and our narrow interests or do we put aside our selves and try to live for and consider others? How do we deal with the consequences, foreseen or otherwise, of our actions? The direction - use of location, cinematography. This is definitely a movie to see on the big screen, the decrepit sea side resort where the action takes place is packed full of detail this is masterful film making - making full use of the setting to reinforce the interior world of the characters. The sure sign for me of a skilled director is an absence of incidental music - this movie has none, it doesn't need it. The action speaks for itself. It relies upon and allows the audience intelligence to consider what is going on. A magnificently intelligent film about the human condition about how humans allow tyrants to run over them, about power, how power is abused, how we treat those weaker than ourselves. I'll warn there is some stomach churning violence so this might not be a good 'date' movie but if you want a serious and deep film exploring the human condition and masculinity in particular then this one is for you. More questions posed than answers offered... If you're an Italian buff and know your way around the Naples region this will be even more for you, but that said the story could happen anywhere. Saying that suddenly brought to mind Shane Meadows film 'Dead Mans Shoes' which this would sit very nicely with in a double bill. It's quite a different film, with a damaged male protagonist making choices with serious consequences and also a 'revenge' flick. DOGMAN was released in France back in June where I saw it in Italian with French subtitles I speak OK French, not brilliant, there's always stuff you miss but that didn't seem to diminish the impact. I'll finish by saying that despite the dark themes it's not without some sharp humour. ENJOY!

It's very understandable that so many reviewers of this film make a statement that they can't recommend this film to anyone. It's almost an orgy of sado-masochism, where a little humble man with a daughter making his living on taking care of dogs is harassed by the supreme local bully, who terrorizes the entire district, an almost surrealistic desolation of a human slum district in the Naples area, that just couldn't be more dreary. He tries in vain to compromise with the bully by serving him, which he never should have done in the first place, because it only worsens the trouble. The final settlement is a grotesque monstrosity of a disposal vying with the most atrocious finales of Visconti in explicit realism. The case of Marcello is and will always remain a puzzle, why did he at all try to compromise with such an obvious criminal maniac, you just don't compromise with terrorists, which will only eventually turn you one of them. The film is horribly realistic all the way, and it's difficult to see that anything good could come out of it, and we never learn what trials Marcello will encounter next.

This movie is a portrait of the consequences of making bad decisions in your life despite the fact that you are very lucky.

It is a film with a difficult plot to capture, it is more complex than it is believed. The film very well exposes the main character's reasons that lead him to act that way, it states that sometimes we do not realize what we have and that we do not value it enough, it teaches us that we can make very stupid decisions that affect things that matter to us and that our greed can blind our judgment, hurting ourselves. The film has good acting, good photography, good script, and good production design. The negative aspects are the lack of development of some characters and lack of development explanation of how the protagonist begins to commit illegalities.

With a complex plot, the film manages to expose its message and portray the feelings that a person can have when making poor decisions.

Bullying. How do we deal with bullies? This is the main ingredient in this Italian drama. What is the easiest way out when someone is bullying? It is this choice that the main character here is in. The film's main character is in this dilemma, and we follow the discomfort that develops. If you can not solve the problem, is it possible to live with it? The choice the main character here makes is difficult to understand, but still understandable. This makes the film engaging, but it is demanding to watch. We suspect that this will come to a final clarification. And that it will not be pretty. I liked Dogman. Good script, relevant and good acting. But I struggled to understand why the main character made the choices he made. Maybe others interpret it differently?

Marcello is a timid, weak-minded dog groomer in a lower class neighborhood. He's a loving father and a dog lover. He deals coke to volatile brute Simoncino who terrorizes the neighborhood and never pays for anything. He gets pushed into joining Simoncino in his crime sprees. The situation spirals out of control as Simoncino's relentless brutality is matched only by Marcello's meekness.

Marcello's pathetic nature is a bit frustrating at first. His character becomes very compelling as he gets more complex. He is like a dog mistreated by his violent master. He shows his humanity and his soft nature but he is moulded by his handler. There is a magnetism to his meekness. They are all very compelling characters. Despite his flaws and the inevitable tragedy, one hopes for the best. It's a brilliant character study.