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Dogman (2023 film)

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Dogman (or DogMan) is a 2023 English-language French action thriller film written and directed by Luc Besson and starring Caleb Landry Jones, Jojo T. Gibbs, Christopher Denham, John Charles Aguilar and Grace Palma. Set in New Jersey, it depicts a man who was abused by his father and loves dogs.[3]

Dogman
Theatrical release poster
Directed byLuc Besson
Screenplay byLuc Besson
Produced byVirginie Besson-Silla
Starring
CinematographyColin Wandersman
Edited byJulien Rey
Music byÉric Serra
Production
companies
Distributed by
  • Apollo Films Distribution
  • EuropaCorp Distribution
Release dates
  • 31 August 2023 (2023-08-31) (Venice)
  • 27 September 2023 (2023-09-27) (France)
Running time
114 minutes[1]
CountryFrance
LanguageEnglish
Box office$4.2 million[2]

Dogman was selected to compete for the Golden Lion at the 80th Venice International Film Festival, where it premiered on 31 August 2023. It was released in France on 27 September 2023. The film received generally mixed reviews from critics.

Plot

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Doug is arrested in New Jersey while driving a truck full of dogs.

Evelyn, a psychiatrist, is sent to the police station to interrogate him. Through flashbacks he tells the story of his life. First, as a child victim of his father's violence to the point of having lost the use of his legs; his brief time in a juvenile institution where he falls in love with his theatre teacher, Salma, who introduces Shakespeare to him (he later states that he knows all the playwright's plays by heart); then as the master of numerous dogs helping him steal jewellery and precious objects as well as protect people in need. Doug also reveals he has performed weekly as drag queen in a cabaret act.

Cast

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Production

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Dogman was filmed in a virtual production facility in Essonne, France, from February to July 2022,[6] and on location in Newark, New Jersey, in June 2022.[7]

Release

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Dogman was selected to compete for the Golden Lion at the 80th Venice International Film Festival,[8][9] where it had its world premiere on 31 August 2023.[10] It was released in French cinemas on 27 September 2023 by Apollo Films Distribution and EuropaCorp Distribution.[11] Originally scheduled for 19 April 2023, the release was pushed back in hopes to secure a premiere at an autumn film festival after positive reception from buyers at the European Film Market in February 2023.[12] It was also invited at the 28th Busan International Film Festival in the Open Cinema section and was screened on 6 October 2023.[13][14] The film was released in select theaters in the United States on 15 March 2024 by Briarcliff Entertainment, before expanding to a wide release on 22 March.[15]

Reception

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Critical response

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 59% based on 71 reviews, with an average rating of 5.5/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "While Besson, Landry Jones, and a pack of mutts lend DogMan their roaring souls, this entry offers ample creative risks and kibbled returns."[16] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 45 out of 100 from 23 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[17]

Catherine Bray, in her review for The Guardian, called Dogman "the most ludicrous film you'll see all year, maybe ever".[18] Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian awarded the movie three stars out of five, describing it as odd, but well-executed and amusing.[19] French film critics of Radio France criticized the accumulation of clichés and the lack of cohesion of the plot.[20] Jean-Luc Wachthausen of Le Point, however, found the film "disturbing and keeping its promises".[21]

Awards and nominations

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Awards and nominations for Dogman
Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
Venice Film Festival 9 September 2023 Golden Lion Luc Besson Nominated [22]
Queer Lion Nominated [23]
Fanheart3 Award – Graffetta d'Oro for Best Film Won [24]

References

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  1. ^ "Biennale Cinema 2023 Venezia 80 Competition". Venice Biennale. 26 June 2023. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
  2. ^ "DogMan (2023)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  3. ^ Keslassy, Elsa (24 January 2023). "'DogMan' Trailer Teases Another Towering Performance by Caleb Landry Jones (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  4. ^ a b Wise, Damon (31 August 2023). "'Dogman' Review: Caleb Landry Jones Blows The Roof Off Luc Besson's Boisterously Insane Action Thriller – Venice Film Festival". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  5. ^ "The film DogMan by Luc Besson scheduled for April 19" (PDF) (Press release). EuropaCorp. 21 November 2022. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  6. ^ "Essonne. Un studio de tournage spécialisé dans le virtuel installé dans un ancien entrepôt". Ouest-France (in French). 12 October 2022. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  7. ^ Kuperinsky, Amy (8 June 2023). "Director Luc Besson filming 'DogMan' movie in N.J. as 'Fifth Element' helmer comes to Newark". NJ.com. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  8. ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (25 July 2023). "Venice Film Festival Lineup: Mann, Lanthimos, Fincher, DuVernay, Cooper, Besson, Coppola, Hamaguchi In Competition; Polanski, Allen, Anderson, Linklater Out Of Competition – Full List". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  9. ^ "Luc Besson makes emotional return to Venice with 'Dogman' movie". Reuters.
  10. ^ "Dogman". Venice Biennale. 19 July 2023. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  11. ^ Goodfellow, Melanie (10 July 2023). "'Dogman' Trailer: Caleb Landry Jones Captivates As Bruised Hero In Luc Besson's Comeback Film". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  12. ^ Keslassy, Elsa (28 February 2023). "Luc Besson's 'Dogman' Set for Fall Release as it Eyes Festival Launch; More International Distributors Board Film (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  13. ^ "The 28th Busan International Film Festival: Selection List". Busan International Film Festival. 5 September 2023. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
  14. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (26 October 2023). "Luc Besson Revenge Thriller 'DogMan' Acquired By Briarcliff; Early 2024 Release For Venice Fest Favorite". Deadline Hollywood.
  15. ^ Complex, Valerie (19 December 2023). "Briarcliff Entertainment Sets Release Date For 'DogMan', Luc Besson's Action Thriller Starring Caleb Landry Jones & Jojo T. Gibbs". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 8 March 2024.
  16. ^ "DogMan". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  17. ^ "DogMan". Metacritic. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  18. ^ Bray, Catherine (31 August 2023). "Dogman review – the most ludicrous film you'll see all year, maybe ever". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  19. ^ "Dogman review – Luc Besson's bizarre and macabre tale of canines, crime and drag". The Guardian. 5 March 2024. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  20. ^ Inter, Le pôle Édition de France (9 October 2023). "CRITIQUE : "DogMan" de Luc Besson, un film sans cohérence ni profondeur selon le Masque" (in French). France Inter. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  21. ^ Wachthausen, Jean-Luc (27 September 2023). "Faut-il voir " Dogman ", le nouveau film de Luc Besson ?". Le Point (in French). Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  22. ^ Vivarelli, Nick (25 July 2023). "Venice Lineup Includes Films by Bradley Cooper, Sofia Coppola, Ava DuVernay, David Fincher and More". Variety. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
  23. ^ "17. Queer Lion Award to "Domakinstvo za pocetnici" (Housekeeping for Beginners) by Goran Stolevski". Queer Lion. 8 September 2023. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  24. ^ Lodge, Guy (9 September 2023). "Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone's 'Poor Things' Wins Golden Lion at Venice, Peter Sarsgaard and Cailee Spaeny Take Acting Prizes (Full List of Winners)". Variety. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
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