Dogs Don't Wear Pants

Those who think that this movie is about sex or fetishes they are wrong. It is about loss and coping with loss. People in general deal with loss in different ways. Some start to drink, some start to take drugs, some start to harm themselves and some get into kink and sadomaso world. It is a way to deal with your feelings and pain. Go see this movie with an open mind and heart.

Dogs Don't Wear Pants (Finland, J.P. Valkeapaa, 2019) - "It is by going down into the abyss," said Joseph Campbell "that we recover the treasures of life."

A surgeon, Juha, sinks into depression after his wife drowns. Neglecting his job, daughter and health, Juha is breaking down. When he stumbles into the orbit of Mona, a dominatrix, she becomes an obsession for him. Through her there are flashbacks to moments with his wife. Juha cannot get enough. Mona too is infatuated. Here is someone impervious to her charms. As they push each other deeper, someone has got to blink.

The radiance of Dogs Don't Wear Pants is the focus on the characters of both Mona and Juha, not one or the other. Also, it is deep and enlightening in ways I did not expect. There is no simple formula and no one has sold out to "the man." The film is liberating, cathartic. "You are alive after all," says a friend to Juha. So are all who witness and appreciate this little gem. Streaming on Shudder. Four and a half of five stars.

I had a hunch that the only criticism one might read about this movie is about the "BDSM culture" and how this movie fails to portray it. It's as much about BDSM culture as Lolita is about pedophilia - newsflash, it's not about it. It's also not a documentary. It's art. Chill out.

That being said. The movie is very minimal and I personally loved it. Almost every frame has a meaning and it's not a movie to casually eyeball over. The duet of Krista Kosonen and Pekka Strang is magnificent. Great film making and acting over here, I truly appreciate it.

So if you're interested in some nordic noir, some scandinavian weirdness, the poster and the name tickles you... give this film a chance.

There's a moment in your past that has affected, the way you interface and stay connected, and it's taken quite a tangent, it involves a bottle of scent, but that's what makes you stand tall, fully erected. It starts with replication of that moment, when your world turned upside down with flooded torment, and you've found another soul, she is the south to your north pole, you couldn't hope for a more invested, proponent. But the path to your salvation is not easy, and it may make the odd folk a little queasy, it might take your breath away, there may be plier-work at play, and to some, it may be thought of as, quite sleazy.

...came back having all my expectations subverted. No, this movie is NOT just about sex or bdsm, it does have a decent story behind it. It's about Juha, dealing with the loss of his wife and getting into the kink world in the process. The story does lack depth and I was a bit disapointed that Mona's story wasn't explored more. I was surprised how visual the movie was and how little dialogue this had, it was a nice touch. And can I say how great the actors were in this? The performances of the two leads were absolutely stellar! Go in with an open mind.