Dog Eat Dog | DVD Review

Considering all the hype surrounding Dog Eat Dog (Perro Come Perro) – it was nominated for the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize at Sundance in 2008 and was Colombia’s official entry in the Best Foreign Film category at the 2009 Academy Awards – director Carlos Moreno’s first feature film, distibuted by IFC Films, is bound to disappoint viewers expecting something special.

And that’s a shame, really, because Dog Eat Dog is one hell of a fun film, albeit so chock full of obvious influences as to almost be considered derivative. Featuring a couple of plotlines destined to be commingled as the film crescendoes to a violent finale reminiscent of the Quentin Tarantino-penned True Romance, it’s easy to see the influence of QT and the Coen Brothers on Moreno’s work. But Moreno, who also co-wrote the screenplay, manages to infuse Dog Eat Dog with his own flavor, a flavor that admittedly has not come full circle yet. In the grimy criminal underworld of Colombia, small-time hood Victor (Marlon Moreno, looking like a beefed up Luke Wilson) double-crosses his boss and takes a bag of money that belongs to him. The boss, El Orejón (a scenery-chewing Blas Jaramillo), is on to Victor but he’s also trying to deal with Eusebio (Óscar Borda), who murdered his godson. Putting both of them together on a bogus mission in Cali, Colombia’s second-largest city, El Orejón has a voodoo priestess put a curse on Eusebio and secretly hires Eusebio to find out what he can about Victor and the missing money. Stuck together in a sleazy motel and constantly bothered by a caller looking for his girlfriend, it’s only a matter of time before everything comes to a boil in a violent climax.

It’s actually a simple story, but Moreno’s direction, coupled with some fantastic cinematography and some fine acting by a cast of relative unknowns, even in Colombia, make for a fascinating film. The grit and grime of Cali is expertly conveyed through the use of a dark color palette – it’s almost black and white. The actors, some of whom were actually picked off the streets and cast in the film, turn in some very believable performances. But what really makes Dog Eat Dog believable, despite the outlandish scenarios, is the subtle humor involved. Sly glances, awkward moments, and witty retorts in just the right places give the film a bit of a realistic feel, even amid all the chaos going on.

As is typical with an IFC Films release, there are no special features to speak of save for an English language trailer, but the disc itself is very well put together. The 5.1 Digital Surround is put to excellent use and the gritty feel of the film, with its lighting and filters providing an almost sepia-toned environment, looks fantastic on the small screen in this excellent 16:9 anamorphic widescreen presentation.

This gritty and darkly comic crime thriller is a fine first feature and well worth a rental. Dog Eat Dog offers a glimpse of what Carlos Moreno is capable of as a director, and so long as he is able to bring out his own voice even more in his future films and not wear his influences so obviously on his sleeves, he’s got a promising career ahead of him.

Movie rating – 3

Disc Rating – 2.5