Reviews, credits & stills
Director: Carlos Sorin Writer: Carlos Sorin, Santiago Calori, Salvador Roselli Stars: Juan Villegas, Walter Donado, Rosa Valsecchi, Mariela Diaz, Claudina Fazzini Genre: Drama, Comedy Length: 98 minutes Country: Argentina/Spain A gently humorous film, Carlos Sorin's Bombon (El Perro), or Bombon the Dog, is a story of one man and his canine friend. Notable for its use of non-professional actors, the film delivers an inspirational message about life, and although it is a charming affair it is also a slight one. Juan (Juan Villegas) is a middle-aged man at a loss. After being fired from his job of twenty years as a petrol attendant, he scratches a living in the vast plains of Patagonia trying to sell beautiful knives that he carves himself. Travelling around in his beaten-up jeep, he lives a desultory existence: without a wife (presumably deceased or departed) he is an annoyance to the daughter whose shack he shares with her young family. A kind and benign man, Juan looks for any opportunity to make a quick peso and one day finds a stranded motorist on the side of the road. He offers to drive her the 150 kilometres to her home and when they arrive he is treated as the Good Samaritan. His reward, however, instead of the cash he desires, is a huge beast of a dog who goes by the name of Bombon. Not quite knowing what to do with his new friend, Juan finds a dog trainer named Walter, himself larger than life and canine in his ways. Walter is thrilled at the sight of Bombon, as his breed (dogo) is highly prized by canine lovers all over the world. The three of them form a partnership, attempting to train the animal and to show it at dog competitions. Sorin's work has an element of social realism to it, and indicates just how desperate life is in economically-blighted Argentina. Its dry humour makes it a comforting affair to watch, and the beautiful yet harsh countryside seems to make Juan's situation even more precarious. There certainly are some amusing moments, notably the duo's attempts to parade the dog in competition, which give the film a Patagonian Best in Show flavour. Both Juan and Walter are played by amateur actors, who unusually retain their own names for their characters - a brave decision that is the film's chief success. Juan's face is an open book of kindness and is a perfect foil for the gigantic Walter's larger-than-life appeal. Strangely however the title character of the dog never quite comes across that well - perhaps because it is such a bizarre and unwelcoming animal. As a result the buddy relationship between man and beast doesn't quite succeed, and with a couple of plot turns that don't go anywhere (notably a putative romance that Juan starts up with a singer) the film is a good rather than great one, despite a very promising opening twenty minutes. Paul Hurley http://www.tiscali.co.uk/entertainment/film/reviews/bombon_el_perro/2
It's a dog's life for Coco (Juan Villegas), a middle-aged, out-of-work mechanic who gets by flogging handmade knives in Argentina's parched Patagonia region. But a new door opens when he's given Bombon, a hulking game hound of noble breeding. As man and mastiff hit the canine competition circuit, a gently uplifting tale of starting over, self-fulfilment and sexual awakening emerges. Just the right side of sentimental, Bombon El Perro is another sweet little story from Historias Minimas helmer Carlos Sorin. In fact, at times it feels a bit like an offcut from the earlier, multi-stranded movie. There's not a terrific amount of dramatic tension here: Sorin's storytelling is often as self-effacing as his (human) hero. But there is the same rich sense of setting and character that made Minimas a minor marvel. The world of pooch parades is captured with a similar eye for detail (if not daftness) as mockumentary Best In Show. And the two-legged cast - non-professionals to a man - all deserve commendation. There's a nice counterpoint between the bashful Villegas (Sorin's former car-parker!) and his boisterous new mentor Walter (Walter Donado), while restaurant warbler Rosa Valsechi hits a warm note. "THE DOG'S COMIC TIMING PUTS HALF OF HOLLYWOOD TO SHAME" But of course, it's the headline canine who scoops first prize. He's a rare breed of movie mutt: too much of a brute to be cute, but he'll tickle your belly all the same. His deadpan comic timing puts half of Hollywood to shame. And though this slim but likeable tale is light on surprises, there's a terrific one in store when Bombon finally comes of age. In Spanish with English subtitles. Contains infrequent strong language Reviewed by Matthew Leyland http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2005/06/10/bombon_el_perro_2005_review.shtml</p>
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