Dogman

I finally watched Dogman and didn't expect to like it. The story was very interesting and made me curious about the ultimate fate of the main character. I think Luc Besson is quite good at writing and portraying the character of Douglas. His character also develops throughout the story and is not stuck in a certain situation and certainly not pretentious. What I like about this film is that the dialogues are quite meaningful and in accordance with the reality of human life. A little bit religious. Despite the controversy of Luc Besson, I admit that he is quite good at making films. This film is worthy and fun to watch.

Caleb Landry Jones probably didn't meant to do anything else in life but act. He doesn't pass for anything but a brilliant actor that can play with every role he will get. One I saw his name as the leading actor in this movie, it wasn't even a question. Luc Besson made me to suspect, but I was already invested in the leading actor, so it was a deal breaker.

It is a story about an outsider that suffered a massive childhood trauma which made him to be something else. At night he goes out and dresses with a costume, that makes him unrecognized and he also act as a local robin hood. His name is: "Dogman". He can't fly, shoot webs or even stand or walk, for this matter. And no, he isn't a superhero, not even close, but I almost had you thinking.

The childhood father related trauma made him put his trust on canines, so he treats them as his babies and they give them one hundred times the love he even considers of giving. Story-wise, this movie is telling a flashback story, from the point of view of the main character as a narrator and narrative defining.

The story is sad for most of it and then it takes some nasty turns that are sometimes unreliable, but not in the way that makes you want to leave this movie, because it did a solid job to get you invested in it. Caleb Landry Jones is doing what he does best and it is to be amazing as an actor and he got me thinking about several Joker characters over the years. He definitely could be one of them, in the future.

It could have been better, much better, but Besson doesn't want it to be deeper, he wants to take a cripple drug queen and make her shoot a shotgun. No, its not a Robert Rodrigues movie, but its defiantly Besson, that doesn't want to neglect his adventures character and its movie leading role characters himself.

It's a good movie, that makes the audience to, sometimes, get lost in it, because it spreads for several areas, plot-lines and also stuffing inside several genres, but it is a solid movie, that doesn't let you any crack or hatch to get out - you just want to keep going with this twisted story and cross the finish line, smiling and thanking Caleb for the ride.

This film is simply brilliant, whatever the fervent critics say! A great Luc Besson's movie like we haven't seen in a while. Being compared to an insipid Joker it shows how little it's been understood. Just because an outsider struggles to survive despite the horrors he has been through doesn't mean he is a Joker's copycat! Films about men with broken souls existed before the Joker! Anyway, this film is full of tenderness and poetry, with impeccable picture quality and breathtaking scenes such as the Edith Piaf's song performance: mind blowing! BRAVO and I hope Caleb Landry Jones will get an Oscar nomination, more than deserved!!

Douglas Munrow upsets his bully father who throws him to the dogs as punishment. But he befriends the dogs and they stay with him throughout his tempestuous life.

There's so much to say about this film. Part of it is down to the mind of Besson who never fails to bring a quality produced film with a -sometimes- slightly bizarre theme.

Caleb Landry Jones is superb as Douglas. His performance alone is so mesmerising you could easily forget what the plot of the film is. The plot is basically man's inhumanity to man, contrasting to dog's devotion to man. Which are the purer animals? The ones full of hate and violence? Or the ones full of love and friendliness?

The story is told mainly by dialogue between Douglas and his assigned psychiatrist Evelyn, played admirably by JoJo T Gibbs. And also flashbacks which fill in the gaps for us. However the timeline never seems forced, or interrupted. It flows like a great story should giving us exactly what we need to know and only when we need it.

Their narrative explores some of the issues about right and wrong, self justification, hiding from who you really are and being exactly as you want to be.

It corners on how pain from other humans can cause us to change and be different to how we should be. Yet a dog or an innocent child can bring us back from the brink.

Very much enjoyed this film, Landry Jones blew me away, that's the best I've ever seen him. And with Besson behind the scenes production is fabulous in all ways.

I give it a rock solid 7.

Dogman tells a story of a unique and outlandish character from a kid growing up in broken home and how he survived his adulthood. Categorizing this movie as an action film and a name like 'Dogman' might lead you to expect a fast-paced or a superhero movie, but although there are some action bits in this movie, it mostly deals with social issues, crime and art.

If you are a dog lover you will like this film and you will see plenty of this friendly breed in it, however this film is not about dogs, it could have been about bats or robots (although the name Batman is already taken) with the same kind of success.

Luc Besson does a great job here of telling a story, which he usually does well. I don't know what made him come up with this story but it's not something you see every day. The acting here is superb and made me rate this movie higher than I would otherwise do.

Overall I think this movie is worth watching, as long as you come in with the right expectations. If you can enjoy some art, singing and also some uneasy violent scenes you will enjoy this one. Exact score: 71 / 100.