DogMan Reviews (original) (raw)
Summary Following a traumatic childhood, a man finds salvation and justice through his connection with dogs.
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Summary Following a traumatic childhood, a man finds salvation and justice through his connection with dogs.
The strangest, possibly silliest movie of the veteran director’s idiosyncratic career. It is also borderline brilliant.
If Dogman has very little to say, it coasts on style amiably enough, showcasing another gonzo turn from Caleb Landry Jones, and presaging Luc Besson’s return. For good or ill, this old mutt still has some bite.
[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]
Brilliant, heart-wrenching, dark saga. Violet and tender, exquisit and revolting. Grabs a hold of you from scene one and refuses to let go. Amazing story, brilliantly acted and put on the screen by a director who clearly loves film and masters his trade.
DogMan is kind of an idiotic movie built on a ludicrous premise. This does not prevent it from being eminently watchable.
Dogman may have a more intimate, reflective tone than much of his work – at least until its final man-versus-dog showdown – but it struggles to get past that initial cool pitch.
I’m sure there’s a way to make this theoretically fun premise work better, but regrettably Besson hasn’t found it.
Compounded with dull plotting and a truly uninspired protagonist arc, Dogman is a curiosity of a comeback film that only makes you consider the virtues of director jail.
Maybe Dogman would be salvageable if Besson didn’t feel the need to thuddingly explain every single aspect of Doug’s quirk-laden personality, as though every last thing that a person is can be traced in a straight line back to a cause, because psychology is a long division sum that never leaves a remainder.
For english below... Ein Film, der mich sehr überrascht hat im positiven Sinne. Faszinierendes Thema, anfangs etwas schräg. Aber dann starke Schauspieler, emotionale Szenen. Sogar Spannung und Gänsehaut sind bei mir nicht zu kurz gekommen. Das Bildformat wirkt in Bezug auf das Material etwas unpassend. Hier hätte 16:9 besser funktioniert. Die Tonspur ist exzellent abgemischt. Sauber verständliche Dialoge (deutsche Synchro), kristallklare Höhen und ein straffer, schwarzer Tiefbass über den ganzen Film verteilt. Die Surroundeffekte sind auf den Punkt klassisch dezent und nicht verschwenderisch eingesetzt. Hier waren vor und hinter der Kamera durch und durch Profis am Werk. Ich habe mir den Film auf Apple TV ausgeliehen, die 4K UHD wandert in meine Sammlung! Danke Luc Besson :) -- A movie that surprised me in a very positive way. Fascinating subject, a bit weird at first. But then strong actors, emotional scenes. Even suspense and goosebumps were not neglected for **** picture format seems somewhat inappropriate in relation to the material. 16:9 would have worked better here. The soundtrack is excellently mixed. Clearly understandable dialog (German synchro), crystal-clear highs and a tight, black low bass throughout the film. The surround effects are classically discreet and not lavishly used. Here, professionals were at work in front of and behind the camera through and through. I rented the movie on AppleTV, the 4K UHD is going into my collection! Thank you Luc Besson :) Translated with **** (free version)
Particularmente, gosto da vibe de suspense impressa pelo Luc Besson, sendo um filme que mante o ritmo e a pegada sombria. No entanto, é fato também que "Dogman" tem um texto simples demais, desses filmes que parecem genéricos usando uma série de concessões e hipóteses absurdas para os acontecimentos, basicamente mantendo o protagonista vivo em meio à sua proteção canina, ainda que se envolva com bandidos (meio bestializados). Porém, a construção do personagem, flertando com traumas que vão da relação conturbada com o pai à desilusão amorosa, e seguindo ainda por um viés que desafia os papéis de gênero, torna tudo uma delícia de acompanhar, e cria até certa simpatia ao protagonista, que é mais vítima do que o algoz. Acaba sendo um filme gosto de acompanhar, que poderia muito bem cair no lugar comum mas tem uma direção segura e uma atmosfera que segura as pontas, a iluminação mais escura confere uma fotografia "das ruas" muito bem vinda para aceitar o clima proposto.
Luc Besson returns with a somewhat cynical story in which he combines 'joker', elements of his antihero films, and even 'Breaking Bad' to make a unique but certainly irregular action and drama film (which even has an unexpected but very striking segment dedicated to a drag show). 'Dogman' relies too much on misery to create empathy, which becomes distasteful most of the time. In addition to this, there is a specific character who seems to have more weight in the plot, only to end up being an accessory to the narrative device in the end. If it weren't for the remarkable performance of Caleb Landry Jones and the puppies this would be a complete disaster. But however erratic it may be, it's worth it just for the superb Edith Piaf-inspired music scene.
Production Company Luc Besson Production, EuropaCorp, TF1 Films Production, Canal+, Ciné+, TMC
Release Date Mar 29, 2024
Duration 1 h 53 m
Rating R
Venice Film Festival
• 1 Win & 3 Nominations