DogMan

Una historia de perros fresca, creativa y muy interesante para adultos con implicaciones psicológicas y sociológicas significativas. Luc Besson me sorprendió de nuevo después de un tiempo. Sin baños de sangre, al menos no explícitos. En esencia, es una historia íntima sobre un hombre triste que pudo aceptar los golpes del destino con gracia y establecer el lazo más estrecho con los perros. Gracias a Dogman también descubrí a Caleb Landry Jones, cuya actuación definitivamente me conquistó. En medio de todas las secuelas y reciclajes posibles, siempre hay algún cambio. (12.10.2024)

Chilling, haunting, superb. Luc Besson is such a seasoned director that this just had to work, and even though his films are mostly around average, his experience shows through here. DogMan is a fully immersive spectacle about a man on the fringes of society that's strikingly reminiscent of Joker, with grim and decadent vibe oozing film from the very beginning, and it managed to win me over from the opening scenes. The main character is a wheelchair-bound transvestite with a difficult past and an unpleasant childhood struggling through life with just his dogs, and that's pretty interesting stuff to be made into a movie in its own right. Add to that a very stuffy and uncomfortable feeling, plus the excellent "acting" of the dogs, plenty of suspense and plenty of elicited sympathy for the main character, and you're all set. I'm almost ashamed to have put the film off for so long, this is great filmmaking on a level where everything works exactly as it should. The only thing that puts me off of a full score is the fact that, although Besson plays very well with the offbeat themes (the dogs, their "teachings" and the overall world of transvestites), I still feel as though I'm missing something deeper, something that would get under my skin more and evokes more emotion, but other than that, I don't have much to complain about and I applaud it. (05.03.2024)

I wouldn't expect that after all these years, Luc Besson could still surprise me like this. Of course, the concept is a bit abstract and unrealistic, but the way it was brought to the screen captivated me every minute. Although I heard that there may be more under the surface, I wouldn't expect that DogMan would ultimately absorb me so much that I reach for the five stars. Caleb Landry Jones fits perfectly into a similarly jokeresque picturesque role, although he has never been among my favorites; now, however, I will seek out his work more often. And I certainly wouldn't expect to enjoy his Drag queen show so much, which I even watched several times. In my opinion, a strong recommendation with a warning that it is a very specific style and definitely won't appeal to everyone. (04.02.2024)

Douglas has hit rock bottom more than once in his life. It's no wonder he abandoned people and became friends with dogs. And they'll do anything for him. So when the world tries to hurt him again, it's clear it's not going to end well. Luc Besson delivers a visually stylish and quite entertaining variation on Joker, but it skims the surface, fails to mine interesting themes and looks more like the film of an aspiring debutant than the work of an experienced 60-year-old director. One still expects more from Besson, even after his weaker years. (30.11.2023)

Dogs have only one flaw: they trust people! Nice surprise at the end of the year from the mischief maker Luc Besson! Although Besson's best era is behind him (he was on top of the game in the 90s), none of his films has offended me yet, and they are always entertaining action-packed popcorn stuff, except for Valerian. Dogman, however, doesn’t have his typical signature, it's not about action sequences, it's more of a psychological thriller mixed with drama, evoking Joker, but it's damn good and it captivates you from the beginning and spits you out at the end. The main star is the rather unknown Caleb Landry Jones, I've seen him a few times, but he never really stuck in my memory. But, believe me, after this movie, you won't forget him. He delivers a performance worthy of an Oscar (for me, it's the best acting scene I've seen this year), from facial expressions, emotions, speech, and dialogues, it was great. The main character is a lonely guy living with a bunch of dogs with whom he is perfectly connected (their connection, where dogs react to the hero's thoughts was impressive) and the world and society have turned their backs on him. The flashbacks from childhood are like from the craziest exploitation films. His father is a pure monster driven by hatred, violence, and evil. It can be unpleasant for weaker characters, it's raw to the core! The protagonist tries to live peacefully, but he is occasionally disturbed by uninvited guests who don't end well. It is interesting that he is also transgender, but it has a seductive reason to justify the story (it's not forced to meet quotas, but it's really an interesting element that creates the protagonist’s personality and character). Besides the excellent acting, the nice visuals, and the great atmosphere, I must praise the brilliantly written dialogues. Really, every dialogue is a reflection on life, what the protagonist says is fantastic (next time I'll take a piece of paper and write everything down!), and the action-packed finale is also goood, featuring a showdown with a Mexican cartel vs intelligent badass dogs. It's a fun and playfully shot brawl (don't expect much gore). I commend that no dog is harmed, which is surprising given the premise. A very good film, which is not far from 5 stars, but I may reconsider after watching it again. 85% (18.12.2023)