Dogman

Madison Premiere • narrative • Italy, France • 2018 • DCP • Italian with English subtitles • 103 MIN

section: New International Cinema

Mild mannered to a fault, scrawny Marcello (Marcello Fonte, who won the Best Actor award at Cannes for this performance) is just getting by with his dog-grooming business in a small seaside town near Naples. He is a devoted father to his daughter too, and he sells a little cocaine on the side in order to take her on vacations. When Marcello's best pal (and regular customer), the brutal, hulking Simoncino (Edoardo Pesce), comes up with a not-well-thought-out criminal plan to make some quick cash, he forces our timid protagonist to be his accomplice. Through a series of surprising events, Simoncino discovers that Marcello's loyalty can only be put to the test so many times. A stripped-down, slow-burn tale of the everyday underworld that also doubles as a riveting character study, Dogman is the latest entry in the diverse and unpredictable filmography of Italian director Matteo Garrone (Gomorrah). A radical departure from his last feature, the ornately detailed fantasy portmanteau Tale of Tales (WFF 2016), Dogman nevertheless reveals Garrone's confident storytelling skills and his commitment to creating as convincing a milieu as possible. (JH)