Dobermann (1997)

This film has me reaching for the sorts of superlatives that make me cringe such as cracking, awesome and uber-cool.The opening credits feature a CGI Doberman pointing the barrel of a gun at the audience before peeing over the credits on screen. This type of slightly sick and perverse humour pervades the film that starts with a most surreal christening at which the young Dobermann aka Yann (Cassel) gets his first gun and acquires his canine moniker. From here we proceed to modern-day Dobermann holding up a security van using the gun that was his christening gift. The main characters, criminals and cops are all introduced to the audience within the first 30 minutes and thereafter the film builds to a crazy, chaotic and violent conclusion as the two clash in the aptly named nightclub - Joe Hell. The clash when it comes is graphic and sadistic and one merry ride to hell as a demented cop named Cristini (whose name swipes at religion and is brilliantly played by Karyo) breaks all the rules and ethics to nail Dobermann. He gets his comeuppance when Dobermann, with his wife Nat's (Bellucci) assistance, rips half his face off by running it along the road in a moving car. This scene is electrifying partly because of the way the film builds to the confrontation between the two characters. Some complain the film lacks plot; the only plot is their confrontation and the rest of the film is context to this final bloody scene of vengeance.The film reminded me of quite a few other heist films such as Heat and Reservoir Dogs although the characters in Dobermann are a more motley crew. But unlike other films it never takes itself seriously and is completely irreverent and disrespectful towards the establishment in general and the police and religion in particular. The director Kounen has Manu (Duris) wipe his ass with a page from a respected French cinema magazine whilst the Abbot (my favourite character, played by Bettenfeld) continually makes religious pronouncements with some of the best lines. After killing one cop with a grenade in a motorcycle helmet Abbot announces he has joined 'the paradise of headless man'.The film also has a great dance/ambient soundtrack provided by Schyzomaniac that pulses throughout the film and includes The Prodigy's Voodoo People. This film surely features one of Vincent Cassel's most charismatic turns as leader of the pack; *the* Dobermann.

I don't know if this was based upon a graphic novel, or a series of such, but it definitely is one of the too few live action comic book films done *right*. The style is unique, with impeccable and crazy cinematography and wild and energetic(not to be confused with ADD-like) editing. This has the warped sense of French humor that goes into outright absurdity at times and can be rather black, as seen in Delicatessen, Amelié and, perhaps the most well-known example, Alien: Resurrection. It is an awful lot of fun from start to finish, and never runs out of steam. The pace is fast without overwhelming the viewer, and you're definite not bored at any point. This is about a gang of criminals, and there are numerous unforgettable characters, such as the titular role as played by Cassel who literally first had a gun in his hands when he was christened, a priest(!), and Nathalie, a deaf, mute or both, portrayed by Bellucci, who uses sign language throughout the entirety. The acting is spot-on. This is marvelously written, well-developed and the dialog is great and delivered with perfect timing. I did not get a hold of a copy with subtitles, so I watched it with my father and he translated as much as he could along the way(what with the speed and the non-stop slang). I would say that the filmic language is so strong that you can basically figure out what's going on even if you don't know exactly what they're saying, albeit it will cost you nuances. There is plenty of swearing and bloody violence, as well as a bit of disturbing content and a little sexuality and nudity in this. The DVD holds four hours of features(!), with a commentary track, behind the scenes documentaries, comparisons between design and final version, storyboards, deleted scenes, sequences dubbed to other mother tongues, three trailers(well, essentially one), two trailers and a partridge... I mean, some photo montages. I recommend this to any guy who enjoys awesome action flicks with amazing visuals. With bad-ass guns, cool cars, adrenaline-soaked chases and shoot-outs and hawt eye-candy, this is a crass, gritty, dark, disgusting and incredibly entertaining 100 minutes. 7/10

DOBERMANN Aspect ratio: 2.39:1Sound formats: Dolby Digital / DTSA psychotic police detective (Tchéky Karyo) pursues a gang of armed robbers led by the ultra-charismatic 'Dobermann' (Vincent Cassel).A colossal one-fingered salute to the bland, homogenised 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 Joël Houssin (upon whose pulp novels the film is based) have stripped the plot down to its barest essentials and constructed a series of instantly recognisable 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 camera-work, 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 Stéphane Metzger (TRANSFIXED) 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, an irredeemable psycho who's prepared to break every rule - legal and moral - to bring his nemesis to book. However, the audience's loyalties are tested when one of Dobermann's gang (the 'good' guys) shoots an inexperienced rookie cop for no other reason than he happens to be within range during a bank robbery, an incident which pegs the characters as dispensable lowlife scum. But this outrage is balanced by a subsequent scene in which Karyo (the 'bad' guy) invades a birthday party and forces Metzger to betray Dobermann's whereabouts by threatening the younger man's newborn child, before revealing Metzger's drag queen alter ego to his horrified, clueless family. Though the scene is cruel and uncompromising, 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 'fate' for betraying Dobermann under duress is both amusing and redemptive...Houssin's scenario builds to a frenzied showdown in a fancy nightclub, where Dobermann's gang defend themselves against an army of gun-toting police officers, and Karyo finally confronts his mortal enemy, culminating in an explosion of horrific 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 goes to the toilet and uses pages from 'Cahiers du Cinema' to, er... clean up after himself (if you catch my drift)! 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.(French dialogue)

Having seen Vincent Cassel's previous films (Brotherhood of the Wolf, Irreversible, La Haine), i wasn't sure what i'd expect from this. Low and behold His performance as Yann was great. A great story with nice action blended in. Jan Kounen had great direction with this film. I admire his work now after watching this. Hopefully Blueberry will come here in the states soon, as i am waiting anxiously for it. But back to Dobermann. The opening church scene was a good way to establish Yann's roots as an anti-hero . From the bank heist to the Jo Hell Club gunfight, the intensity of the movie never dropped. Akin to Tarantino-style films, its no wonder i enjoyed it. Kudos to the Kounen/Cassel partnership as it yields great results.