Dogman (2019)

This Italian movie is a character study of a meek, middle-aged dog groomer named Marcello, who plies his trade in a decrepit seaside town.  Like his fellow shopkeepers, he is struggling to get by and so he sells a bit of cocaine on the side.  He is eager to impress but lacks much of a personality and his side dealings are presumably what give him most of whatever social standing he has.  His only source of joy is his daughter, who lives with her mother. 

Key to Marcello’s story is his relationship with Simone, an out-of-control, violent sociopath and petty thief.  It is an odd and troubling relationship and in the personalities of these two men, you can see parallels to the dogs that Marcello tends to.  Marcello himself is like a lap dog, fearful, yet craving for recognition and friendship.  Simone is like a ferocious yet unpredictable attack dog, a fit case to be put down.  It is this relationship that propels the narrative of the movie and, as one might expect, there comes a point when things spin out of control.

This is a grim yet fascinating movie that has been loosely inspired by real life events from three decades ago.  It is, by turns, violent, touching, and heart-breaking.  At its centre are two powerful performances, especially an award winning turn by Marcello Fonte (as Marcello), in his first major acting role.  This is one of the best movies of 2019 that I have seen.

Here’s a link to the trailer.