Starting with a humble man who loves dogs, DOGMAN appears to be a simple story. But Matteo Garrone's sardonic sense of humor turns dark as tension and complexity builds. Before long we see two sides of the protagonist dog groomer and we see why Marcello Fonte's outstanding performance richly deserves his Best Actor awards at Cannes, Palm Springs and the European Film Awards.
    DOGMAN explores the consequences of the daily choices we make in order to survive; the difference between who we are and who we think we are; and the cost of being unable to say no. In short, it's an allegory of marginalized humanity craving acceptance; the struggle between weak and strong; vengeance and redemption.

"A well-crafted gem.
The kind of Aesop's fable Scorsese would tell his kids."

    Tightly directed and beautifully photographed, it is simpatico with its four-legged cast-members (no animals were harmed). Nicolai Brüel's photography uses a mostly grey-blue palette – reminiscent of Kaurismaki's Le Havre – to capture the essence of a dilapidated sea-side resort town north of Naples Indeed, the locale sets the mood for the film – the beach is overgrown and deserted; the buildings and rusty shopfronts are largely abandoned. All this enhances the allegorical thrust, as the desolate nature of the town mirrors the barren souls of those who live there.
    Director Matteo Garrone (REALITY, 2012; GOMORRA, 2008; FIRST LOVE, 2004; THE EMBALMER, 2002) shares credit for this film's success with actor Marcello Fonte, who portrays a slight, mild-mannered and sensitive dog groomer. In him, one is reminded of a young Al Pacino or Roberto Benigni – the director commented that Fonte's eyes and facial expressions recall both Chaplin and Keaton, perfect for showing us a hapless dreamer eventually brutalized by dispair.
    Parts of DOGMAN are not easy to watch. If your intellectual curiosity needs a little nudge, consider Walter Chaw's observations:
"I've never seen anything like Dogman. It's a crime film, a tender picture about a father and his daughter, a look at poverty, a look at addiction and maybe mental illness, a critique of masculinity at its terminal extremities, and a withering conversation about what friendship can look like between two men. ... Dogman pulls off this impossible highwire act of being completely unique while being entirely relatable."   Read the full review.

SYNOPSIS
    DOGMAN is an intimate character study of a flawed, but inherently good man who makes bad decisions. The drama unfolds as a David-versus-Goliath love-hate battle between the diminutive, unassuming, almost child-like dog groomer Marcello, and the alpha-male bully Simone (Edoardo Pesce).
    Marcello spends his time lovingly tending the canines at his modest dog hotel and grooming salon, caring for his daughter, cultivating acceptance from the men who almost exclusively populate the film, and being pulled into petty criminal schemes by Simone, who terrorizes the neighborhood.
    Separated from his wife, Marcello is devoted to his daughter, Alida (Alida Baldari Calabria). To pay for the expensive holidays on which he takes her, Marcello sells cocaine on the side to friends and business acquaintances.
    Drugs and Simone's abusive nature makes for a bad mix and Marcello finds himself increasingly sucked into nefarious activities. When the exploitation and abuse becomes overwhelming Marcello faces a crucial and dangerous decision. In order to regain his dignity and atone for misdeeds he must risk everything. The result is not what he expected.