Dobermann [DVD] [2000]

DOBERMANN

(France - 1997)

Aspect ratio: 2.39:1 (Super 35)
Theatrical soundtracks: Dolby Digital / DTS

A psychotic police detective (Tcheky Karyo) pursues a gang of armed robbers led by the ultra-charismatic 'Dobermann' (Vincent Cassel).

A colossal one-fingered salute to the bland, homogenized pap dominating international cinema at the time of its release, DOBERMANN not only set debut director Jan Kounen on the road to cinematic glory, it also helped kickstart an aggressive upsurge in ultra-commercial European cinema (the 'Taxi' series, BROTHERHOOD OF THE WOLF, CRIMSON RIVERS, THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE, etc.), begun two years earlier by Mathieu Kassovitz's equally subversive LA HAINE (1995). Fans of political correctness need not apply: DOBERMANN is loud, excessive, obnoxious and morally ambiguous in equal measure, and while some viewers may be unable to reconcile themselves to the action and violence of Kounen's raucous worldview, others should cling onto their seats and prepare for the ride of a lifetime...

As the above plot synopsis attests, Kounen and scriptwriter Joel Houssin (upon whose pulp novels the film is based) have stripped the plot down to its barest essentials and constructed a series of instantly recognizable character-types (saint, sinner, braggart, dimwit, etc.), thereby liberating Kounen to indulge his true objectives: To push the boundaries of cinema to their absolute limits. DOBERMANN is a swirling tornado of audiovisual delights which unfolds via shock cuts, hurtling camerawork, loud explosions and in-yer-face action set-pieces, a heady mixture of Hollywood gloss and Hong Kong stuntwork ramped to the max. You want subtle? Try Merchant Ivory. THIS movie wants to gouge your eyes out!!

The cast is toplined by French superstars Cassel and Monica Bellucci (they married in 1999), playing the antihero and his ultra-loyal partner in crime, and they both manage to carve a niche amidst the film's visual excesses, while Dobermann's misfit gang includes Stephane Metzger (MAUVAIS GENRES [2001]) as a beautiful drag queen who supports his loving, unsuspecting wife and family via prostitution. But the movie is stolen clean away by Karyo as the deranged cop on Dobermann's tail, a vile piece of work who's prepared to break every rule - legal and moral - to bring his nemesis down. Karyo's lack of restraint culminates in a horrific sequence in which - amongst other things - he invades a birthday party and reveals Metzger's drag queen alter ego to the younger man's horrified, clueless family. The scene is cruel and uncompromising, but Kounen isn't interested in queer-bashing a sympathetic character, merely demonstrating the moral corruption of Karyo's villainous detective; the drag queen is written and played with quiet dignity, and Metzger's ultimate 'fate' is both amusing and redemptive...

Houssin's scenario builds to a frenzied showdown in a fancy nightclub, where Good and Evil are forced into a final confrontation that explodes into noisy, censor-baiting violence. You have been warned! In fact, the script's antisocial attitude is perhaps a little TOO crude and excessive in places, but the director signals his intentions late in the film when a drug-addled gangster uses pages from ultra-posh movie magazine 'Cahiers du Cinema' during a visit to the toilet! Tired of adhering to the established confines of critical acceptability, Kounen and his production team have fashioned an instant cult classic, one which defies convention and spits in the face of diplomacy. Acting and technical credits are top-notch throughout.

Hardcore japanese action spectacular, cross-bred with typical french class and style. This film is a brash and unashamed cops 'n robbers caper, with the dials all turned up to 11. Guns and cars, grenades and transvestites, you can't go wrong with Dobermann.

Cassell is, predictably, a star act and very watchable, once again encapsulating a role and yet remaining Vincent Cassell. As the anti-hero leader of a gang of seriously crazy bank robbers he lights up the screen with his blase cool. Belucci had never been sexier, and Karyo is one bad mother as the cop on Dobermann's case.

At once a film that will keep your head spinning with the non-stop action and occasional twist, as well as making your spine tingle with the awesome violence dished out by, and at, all and sundry.

Just don't take it seriously. top fun.

Dobermann and his beautiful super-gun wielding deaf girlfriend, Nat the Gypsy, are just two of the members of a gang whose success rate with bank heists is driving the policy crazy. Determined to catch them, one evil renegade cop takes this too far. When Christini and Dobermann meet...well to say that it is explosive is an understatement!

Dobermann is a very stylish and beautifully shot film. Guns, weaponry and the after-dark life of transvestites abound and mix in a dizzying tale of life on the other side of the law. The guns are fantastical, the pace is fast and a top soundtrack make this a film well worth watching.