cello talks about how he is well
liked and respected in the com-
munity, and though he shrinks
and cowers from Simone’s fists,
he possesses a ruthless streak
of his own that keeps him afloat,
running what appears to be one
of the only successful businesses
in the area. We’re left to ponder
whom he may have stepped over
to get to his own modest station.
Of course, it’s possible to be
an opportunistic criminal on one
hand and a decent human being
on the other, as demonstrated in
a gripping sequence that sees
Marcello return to the home
Simone just burglarized in order
to free a chihuahua from the
freezer the brute shut him in.
Should Marcello be caught in the
act, such a gesture of compassion
wouldn’t help him out any in the
eyes of the law, who would write
him off as a criminal, plain and
simple. As we watch Simone go
from one act of terror to the next,
we keep waiting in vain for his
own humanity to shine through.
Marcello may be the dogman of
the title, but it’s clear who the real
animal is.
w
Dogman
3 ½ stars out of 5
Directed by: Matteo Garrone
Starring: Marcello Fonte, Edoardo
Pesce, Nunzia Schiano, Adamo Dionisi
NJ STAGE - ISSUE 58
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