Dogman

A real quick one for ya.  Marcello (Marcello Fonte (Pinocchio (2019))) runs a small business as a dog groomer in some coastal Podunk town in Italy but he also deals a little coke on the side.  Actually the other businessmen in the area seem kinda shady too.  Nothing is explicitly said but it’s just the way they carry themselves.  What’s nice is they all get along and enjoy one another’s company having lunch together and so forth.  Marcello looks happy.  He clearly adores taking care of the dogs, cleaning them, walking them, feeding them and calling them “sweetie”.  Plus he shares a loving young daughter with his ex-wife (who thankfully sidesteps the tired cliché of constantly breaking his balls, surprisingly she trusts him) and they get to spend time with each other going on trips.

All good, right?  Unfortunately, the one big fly in the ointment is a local thug named Simone.  He’s a large dude who constantly does blow, breaks shit, gets in fights and causes general mayhem.  Everyone in town hates him but no one knows what to do.  Simone buys his drugs from Marcello, which by itself would be more interaction than you would want, but this douchebag drags him into deeper and deeper shit because he knows he can push him around.  Whether it’s ripping off suppliers or directly threatening Marcello himself to engage in some bad shit it’s all to fuel Simone’s habit and ego.  The situation keeps escalating while the merciless bullying is endless.

Everything about this film is perfectly executed.  It’s shot wonderfully, the town and Marcello’s shop have a grimy feel, the performances are amazing, the pacing is measured, etc.  The story may be simple but Marcello is a complex character.  He’s a tiny scrawny guy who wants to fit in with his group of friends so he eats with them, plays soccer with them and my guess is he participates in these various illegal activities in order to endear himself.  There’s a part of him that likes being a low level dealer (he occasionally indulges in his own supply as well) because it makes him feel like a minor big shot (sorry for the oxymoron).  At the same time I don’t know if he would partake in any of this shit if his circle of buds were totally on the up and up.

What’s even more fascinating is Marcello’s relationship with Simone.  Similar to the drug dealing there are times when Marcello undoubtedly gets a kick out of hanging with Simone like when they go to a strip club together, do some lines, have some drinks and dance.  Maybe this guy isn’t so terrible after all?  Well, things take a turn when a drive by shooter clips Simone in the shoulder.  This was certainly done by any one of the dozens of folks he’s monumentally pissed off throughout his life.  Suddenly the party-every-day-don’t-give-a-fuck lifestyle doesn’t seem so fun anymore.  But I think Marcello wishes he could be more like Simone, have some of his confidence and braggadocio attitude.  He’s too decent of a person though to take on even a fraction of that persona.  For example he gets roped into being the getaway driver for a burglary job Simone and some other guy pull at a house.  When they mention they threw a yapping dog in the freezer to shut it up Marcello goes back to the house later to rescue it.  His conscience couldn’t bear the thought of the poor animal suffering.

This picture reminds me a lot of Nicolas Winding Refn’s work, especially the Pusher sequels.  This is a brilliant character study and wild slice of life type scenario.  The atmosphere goes from bliss to very uncomfortable in a heartbeat.  The characters have a ton of nuance without fancy dialogue or overwrought plot points.  The story is extremely straightforward yet there’s so much to dig into.  I absolutely love little films like this.