Main Cast: Vincent Cassel, Monica Bellucci, Tchéky Karyo, Antoine Basler, Dominique Bettenfeld
Release Year: 1997
Country: FR
Run Time: 103 minutes
Plot
The seedy, pscyho characters from author Joel Houssin's popular 1980s series of hip French crime novels come to vivid life in this rip roaring actioner. The directorial debut of French/Dutch video maker Jan Kounen, the film presents a super violent, drug ladened world ruled by ultramacho men and supported by long-legged, wild-haired, gun-toting beauties. Dobermann (Vincent Cassel) is the leader of a large criminal gang. His lover is Nat la Gitane (Monica Belucci), a deaf-mute gypsy girl. The story begins as Dobermann and company boldly pull off a blood-soaked bank robbery in broad daylight. Their confidence comes from the decoys out distracting the police. After the heist, the gang members hightail it to their lair, located in a remote rural junkyard. When news of their crime reaches police officer Christini, he vows to capture them. Dobermann could not find himself a more ruthless adversary for Christini is evil incarnate and devoid of conscience and decency. When Christini and Dobermann finally meet a terrifying and graphically violent confrontation ensues. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Review
Perhaps the cinematic equivalent of being beaten with a stick, stuffed in a trashcan, and thrown off a cliff, the image that may best exemplify the irreverent and antisocial attitude of Dobermann is when one of the Dobermann's revolting henchmen, after relieving himself in a canal, substitutes the comforts of toilet tissue with a page from Cahiers du Cinema, specifically an article on "the new auteurs of French cinema." A surreal, blood-drenched cross between Jeunet and Caro, with a dash of Luc Besson and a heaping helping of John Woo, Dobermann has been harshly criticized for its overabundance of tasteless imagery and remorseless violence -- a criticism that in this case is entirely justified. Set at a breakneck pace, with an emphasis on hyper-violent visuals and cartoon action, Dobermann's rancid attitude is likely to appeal to those with strong stomachs and a jaded sense of humor, and is absolutely certain to become a poster-film for those screaming that movies have become too sensational in their glorification of violence. There are no good guys in the world of Dobermann, and it's difficult to single out the least despicable bad guy. Make no mistake about it, Dobermann certainly has a mean streak, but its over-the-top visuals and jet-black humor make it hard, if not impossible, to take seriously. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Chick Ortega - Pitbull; Stephane Metzger - Sonia; Marc Duret - Baumann; Romain Duris - Manu; Patrick Rocca - Clodarec; Francois Levantal - Leo; Ivan Merat-Barboff; Roland Amstutz; Pascal Demolon; Florence Thomassin; Jean Lescot
Credit
Ken Nakagawa - Associate Producer, Pierre-Jacques Benichou - Casting, Chattoune - Costume Designer, Fab - Costume Designer, Jan Kounen - Director, Benedicte Brunet - Editor, Marc Baschet - Executive Producer, Schyzomaniac - Composer (Music Score), Nicolas Degennes - Makeup, Michel Barthelemy - Production Designer, Michel Amathieu - Cinematographer, Frederique Dumas - Producer, Eric Neve - Producer, Mac Guff Ligne - Special Effects, Philippe Lecoq - Sound/Sound Designer, Philippe Geugan - Stunts, Joel Houssin - Screenwriter
The charismatic criminal Dobermann (Vincent Cassel), who got his first gun when he was christened, leads a gang of brutal robbers with his beautiful, deaf girlfriend Nat the Gypsy (Monica Bellucci). After a complex and brutal bank robbery, they are being hunted by the Paris police. The hunt is led by the sadistic cop Christini (played by Tchéky Karyo), who only has one goal: to catch Dobermann. At any cost.
