Dogman

Synopsis

The multi award-winning new crime thriller from internationally-heralded writer/director Matteo Garrone (Gomorrah), DOGMAN is the compelling story of a gentle family man driven beyond his limits to protect what he loves, based on remarkable true events.

In a dilapidated Neapolitan suburb, the pint-sized, mild-mannered Marcello (Marcello Fonte) runs the dog-grooming business of the film’s title, caring for the neighbourhood pooches, and raising his young daughter, Alida, for whom he’d do anything to spoil. But he’s domineered by one of his customers, Simone (Edoardo Pesce), a petty criminal and former boxer who throws his substantial bulk around this tight-knit community at every opportunity. Marcello soon becomes swept up in a criminal plan he wants nothing to do with…

Meticulously directed and photographed, and entirely sympathetic to its four-legged cast-members (none of who are harmed), Garrone’s bravura urban noir is also impeccably acted, with Marcello Fonte’s extraordinary performance highly deserving of the Best Actor prizes at both Cannes and the European Film Awards. Inspired by a true story that drew national headlines, and gripping from start to finish, it’s another electrifying big-screen experience from one of Italy’s finest contemporary filmmakers.