Dobermann (1997) User Reviews

The faint of heart need not apply...

[Libretio · 7/10 · 23 January 2005]

DOBERMANN

Aspect ratio: 2.39:1

Sound formats: Dolby Digital / DTS

A 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)

Nutzoid.

[ocosis · 8/10 · 30 December 2019]

Crazy and fun and psychotic. Jan Kounen's high-octane Dobermann is a graphic novel come to life. Expertly directed, shot and acted. Every character is pretty much certifiable, and they exist in a world that is truly bats**t crazy.

Anarchic, and freaking excellent.

Style and violence drive this okay tale of crazed bank robbers hunted by an even crazier cop

[dbborroughs · 6/10 · 14 December 2005]

The plot is simple, Dobermann and band of bank robbers are hunted by the police as they plan and execute a robbery. What they don't count on is that a crazed policeman is on their tail and will stop at nothing to stop them. The dialog is witty, the film making flashy, and the violence is brutal. So why don't I like this more? Lets face it this film exists simply to look cool and so the film makers could shoot things. The film looks great and the gunfights and the action sequences are mind blowing, the problem is that despite some witty dialog the film is rather dull when things aren't being blown up. I got to a point where I was reaching for the remote to get to speed to the next bit of action. Thats not a good sign.

Should you see this movie? If you like big action sequences with lots of guns blazing, absolutely. You might also want to check this out to see one of the great screen villains as represented by the crazed cop who is hunting the gang. He will stop at nothing to get his man including giving a grenade to a baby.

6 out of 10, great action and style takes the place of plot and character development.

a Bloody cartoon!

[Teach-7 · 6/10 · 19 January 1999]

"Dobermann", effectively, is a movie with no live characters in it. Not one.

What it does have is walking cartoons. Two-dimensional and blatantly unbelievable ones (e.g the psycho preacher, straight out of a 60'ies spaghetti-western). That, and bloody mayhem!

The set-pieces, (a bank-robbery, a shoot-em-up in a nightclub and the final car-chase) are excellent for those who like their action-movies splattered with gore and a loud techno-track. Beware, though, there are stretches of boredom in between. Of special note is the grossly unpleasant scene where Christini tortures "Sonia"'s family. It includes a baby being thrown across the room, and later being given a hand-grenade as a toy. This didn't endear "Dobermann" to the Norwegian critics! It was not shown in Oslo as a result of the regional cinema-director considering the movie devoid of interest and much, much too violent.

Which it is.

Best 'live action comic book' ever made

[simon_booth · 10/10 · 17 March 2002]

Dobermann is one of the best 'live action comic books' ever made, IMO. The characters, the cinematography, the dialogue and the violence all have the comic book 'feel' - ultra-stylised and larger than life, and full of very black humour.

The movie is basically a heist movie, with Dobermann himself (Vince Cassell) and his band of unlikely partners plotting a robbery, and pulling it off... but getting bad-ass cop Cristini (Tcheky Karyo) on their tale for their troubles.

The movie is exceptionally well done - clearly a lot of love went into it from director Jan Kounen and from the cast. Some of the camera work is utterly unique and stunning, and the performances all round are excellent. Tcheky Karyo is particularly memorable - his role in KISS OF THE DRAGON was basically his DOBERMANN character watered down to about 1%. Dobermann himself is perhaps the least well developed character, remaining pretty detached and enigmatic throughout.

There's lots of sharp dialogue and bits of absurdity that will obviously draw comparisons to Tarantino. This all leads to some action setpieces that are very very nicely done, including a stunning and extended climax.

This is the 3rd time I've watched the movie, and I enjoy it more each time. Watched it at work last night with a pretty large group, and couldn't help wondering if it was a movie that showed cultural differences between the US and Europe. The Europeans & even a Canadian in the room were sat grinning from ear to ear from start to finish, all loving it... but the Americans in the room just didn't seem to 'get it' at all. They all seemed to be taking it much too seriously, and struggling terribly with the idea of an "anti-hero". The fact that Dobermann has killed an innocent man before he speaks his first line of dialogue seemed to give them trouble. Perhaps this is a European thing, along with the black humour. The difference in response between the Americans and the rest really was noticable.

But, perhaps it's just a coincidence - and some people from any country are always going to miss the point on these things. If you like your heroes dirty, your characters about 3 times larger than life, your camera restless, your dialogue cynical and vicious and your violence explosive... then Dobermann is a wonderful movie you should definitely track down.

Not two like it (vhs)

[leplatypus · 7/10 · 3 January 2016]

This is an one of kind movie where crooks are « heroes », cops « bad guys » and pursuits happen in a sleek world ! As a lot of french movies around Paris, modern suburbs offer such original buildings and locations that it's like getting into a sci-fi world ! For that, the movie is stunning with this thematic and visuals. Next, the action (= violence) is such stylized that even if you find that boring, offensive or disgusting, you are gripped to watch ! The cast have big names of french stars (even Romain) so you feel interested too, even if the night showdown at the club makes the story absent !

What's else ? Sure you expect me to say a few words about la Bellucci ! Well, i have bought this box in 1997 when i had a big crush for her and the movie is the proof that passion is fragile : once fire is extinguished, there is nothing left except ashes… Since « Malena », my opinion is that she is a poor actress, always in the look, passive, not great conversation, ideas, mind so a really boring personality ! Here, she matches my description perfectly so i can't say anything else !

what you got to say, perhaps the worst movie of all time!

[geaer · 1/10 · 6 June 2000]

ok, i'll make it short. extreme violence doesn't make a good movie, which in my opinion a lot of people think. just add lots of violence here, lots of unimaginably stupid and not funny jokes there and, voila, a "cult" movie. i wonder where we are heading if this is what many people think of this movie, like it seems. this flick lacks intelligence, humour and everything else almost every other movie has. as someone else wrote correctly, everybody could have made such an uninspired piece of crap. don't get me wrong, violence can be good and necessary as a part of a movie, as long as it serves a deeper purpose, not only for style. there are lots of better french movies out there, eg. "i stand alone". destroy every copy of this "cult" when you come along one. thanks.

Unique fast-paced French comic-book action with supercool editing!

[Pingo-2 · 9/10 · 17 May 2001]

Starting off with a slow scene at the baptism of Dobermann, whos real name is Yann, it then takes you on a action-trip to hell - and never back!

The first 30 minutes of the film have super-cool editing, but then the story gets overhand (which is good) and the shooting starts to slow down... When the bank-robbing-action is at it's best, the suspense and high-quality filming really is unique. At the final scene the shoot-out is grotesqly well done and can only be compared to early John Woo-Hong Kong flicks... Nothing made in the US can compare to this truly adorable movie. Maybe KILLING ZOE may compare in violence, but not in acting...

The scene when Yann and his girlfriend is talking with sign-language only is one of the best scenes in this movie - even though it has no action, no words and only a humming noice...

Nice movie that should be seen only by those who can stand grim action that looks real. It's a hard movie to watch for some people, but it has great qualities, very nice filming and spectacular direction and editing! Watch out for some nice laughs as well... if you have that sick dark kind of humor, that is... :-)

9 out of 10!

A cult movie

[juan_not514 · 16 August 2003]

Dobermann is a movie about losing control. And it is probably the most violent movie one can rent at the videoclub. The violence is raw and both the cops and thieves are psychos.

A lot of scenes are very strong. Like this one where a cop is eating his sandwich while watching a pimp beating a hooker...

Don't be fooled by people who say that this movie is a copycat of 'Natural Born Killer'. Such comments are sadly narrow-minded. Dobermann is a chef-d'oeuvre and does not relate to any other movie. It is indeed very stylish and does no try to lecture the spectator.

All style and no substance...

[gridoon · 6/10 · 22 December 2002]

...but you more or less could have figured that out if you had taken a look at the film's trailer. What you may not be prepared for is the fact that the first 40 or 50 minutes of the film are surprisingly dull and far from action-packed. Things do pick up in the second half, and by the time we get to the final confrontation between Dobermann and the Nazi cop Christini (arguably the most repugnant cop in the history of movies) the violence finally has the kick that it should have had all along. (**)

Being different is not being good

[pedrodegreiff · 3/10 · 8 October 2004]

Dobermann shows how french can produce trashy films. They wanted to do a different action movie and they got it, but being different does not mean being good in fact when someone tries so badly to do different things, as anyone can notice in this film, the results are poor.

What makes a movie good or a cult? It is hard to say, but it is certain that Dobermann does not have anything of what is needed. A good movie, or a cult one, is not based in the appearances, it must have some substance and Dobermann does not have anything beyond the never ending gun fights, the shallow characters and dull dialogues.

But watching that movie is not a total waste of time, you can learn what not must be done in movies and Dobermann has many examples about that.

Violent, nihilistic. But so cool.

[tenten76 · 9/10 · 10 September 2002]

People have compared Dobermann to Tarantino's stuff, but I think it's much more similar to Luc Besson's Leon / crossed with Baz Luhrmann's direction in the opening of Romeo & Juliet.

Great comic-book angles and poses, larger-than-life characters, comic-book violence, Prodigy soundtrack.. Brilliant stuff.

Very cool theme, and great CGI opening credits (worth a mention on their own). I couldn't work out why Tcheky Karyo says about 3/4 of his lines in accented English, but who cares.

It's uncomplicated, violent, stylish mayhem, and it's great.

Raw violence as only ingredient

[Rammstein-2 · 6/10 · 23 August 2000]

Violent in the extreme but also far from serious, this film is humorous in a way that almost makes me feel guilty. Laughing at this kind of violence and black comedy is some sort of defense against the meaninglessness of it all. And this film is really meaningless. But it's entertaining, and although there are many films of the same kind that manages much better, I'm sort of glad I've seen it. But if you can't see the fun in giving a newborn baby at his baptism a gun to suckle - don't bother.

Bonemeal

[paul2001sw-1 · 5/10 · 18 December 2002]

Stylish, violent French thriller about some thoroughly unlikeable lowlife and the equally despicable policemen on their trail. In places, this film is original, funny and genuinely shocking, but there's not really enough here to offset the gun fetish.

Quick Reviews!!

[malkane316 · 7/10 · 19 April 2005]

For fans of extreme cinema, Dobermann is almost a must-a good blend of violence, style, and craziness with a thumping soundtrack and over-the-top acting and set-pieces. It lacks the edge that other 'extreme' movies have, and is devoid of any compassion, but on the other hand does not go far enough to disturb the audience. A good cast does well, particularly Cassell and Karyo as the respective robber and cop, but at times the mashing together of genres does not work completely.

Cassell stars as Dobermann, a man with a penchant for violence ever since his birth. He is the boss of a notorious gang of misfit robbers who have been preying on Paris for years. His nemesis is Cristini, a cop whose sadistic nature means he abuses his power and position and will stop at nothing to catch Dobermann and his mates. After a large heist with suitably insane weaponry, Dobermann has plenty of money, but Critini is getting closer, and eventually they meet and have a long chase. The plot may not be original, but it is always interesting, violent, and well worth watching.

There are plenty of outstanding scenes here amidst the wackiness- the grenade inside a motorcyclists helmet while riding, the grenade in a baby's pram, the head being scraped along the road at 90 mph etc. It tries hard to be cool and stylish, and mostly it works, just a pity there is a lack of substance which would have made it a classic of the genre.

7 out of 10

All out onslaught

[D Throat · 10/10 · 23 January 1999]

Most movies portray comic book characters as farcical and ultimately silly people in tight fitting spandex. The films are often a joke. It is amazing how Hollywood could, for example, make a total wimp out of Batman. This film is French, and made by the man who did Vibroboy. This is an example of how films should be made: this is an Auteur-film! Everything in the movie is morally deplorable, and therefore right on the money! Dobermann is not supposed to be sympathetic to begin with! The violence is explicit and highly stylized, but still gripping: the scene where the detective's head is scraped across the road is amazing. What do people expect: this movie is for a hard-boiled audience, and others can check out Disney if they want likeable characters and happy endings. If, on the other hand, you like a movie with balls and one that is not afraid to show sex and violence in the extreme with wonderfully weird characters and a director who knows his business, then you should see this and be amazed, from the opening scene until the final credits. A great film.

Gun craziness

[BandSAboutMovies · 6/10 · 24 June 2021]

Dobermann (Vincent Cassel, Black Swan) got his first gun at his baptism. Now, he leads a gang of bank robbers, made up of his knife-throwing deaf girlfriend Nat the Gypsy (Monica Bellucci!), Olivier who is also a woman named Sonia, Pitbull and even a priest who likes to put grenades into the helmets of motorcycle cops.

A sadistic cop named Christini (Tchéky Karyo) has been chasing Dobermann for what seems like an eternity and he decides that this will be the night he catches him. He sets up an ambush in a club as the gang celebrates their latest bank robbery and his methods are even worse than the villains.

This film may have an opening CGI animation that looks dated and sure, it's highly influenced by Tarantino, but it's packed with action and incredibly cool villains as protagonists. There's been a sequel planned for a long time and I hope that it gets made. If you're into gunplay set to music by Prodigy, I mean, you really should watch this. I also realize that this is a very small subgenre of action film fans, but so it goes.

Director Jan Kounen and Cassel would go on to make Blueberry, which is based on the comic books by Jean "Moebius" Giraud. That makes sense, as this film is also based on a comic book by Joel Houssin.

A criticism of an awful movie

[Pedro-72 · 3/10 · 2 June 2000]

Don't misunderstand me. Dobermann has excellent cinematography and camera work. The special effects are great. But I want to comment on the sheer awfulness of the script, the plot and the characters. I watched this film with about ten people and we were all laughing at it. Its so incredibly naive and it beggars belief how anybody can watch this and not find the script absolutely appalling. For a while I thought it might be irony and taking the mickey out of itself. - But it CAN'T be. You would have to be an absolute genius to create such irony.

The characters all have idiosyncracies and enigmatic lines which are obviously supposed to contribute towards their depth and character development. But they just look childlishly ridiculous - we were laughing with incredulity that any film company could release such poor film-making.

If you like lots of guns and violence then fair enough; and at least seeing this movie will make you laugh. But I certainly wouldn't waste money buying it.

Can't believe i didn't notice this film!

[assisted_death · 10/10 · 2 March 2004]

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.

Highly stylized, gratuitous, awesome!

[subatomicsteve · 10 December 2000]

Don't let them fool you, Dobermann is a rockin' violent film in the tradition of Fantomas, updated for the 90's. Films with anti-hero protagonists are often dismissed as lacking in morality, but that view is short sighted and culturally prejudiced. The protagonists in this film have a certain code of behavior, ethics, and style, and it is their rigid adherence to these that define them as heroes. The cops in the film are portrayed as bumblers, or worse, corrupt, violating their code of behavior, ethics and style. So instead of being merely good vs. evil, the story is reframed as two alternate ethical frames of reference in conflict. This makes the film hard to accept in a real world sense, but does present a challenge to the viewer, i.e.: Who does one root for? In the end the director decides for you. We are rooting for the robbers in this one. The robbers are bloodthirsty murderers, but not cruel or capricious. Murder is simply a means to an end. The film is stylish in a Sam Raimi/Ringo Lam sense, quick cuts, swerving cameras, and an "in the action" feel. The cast is superb, but acting in a

film with a directoral sense as strong as this is sometimes not easy, as the actors can become merely manipulated props. Still, there is scenery chewed, and many memorable performances. Top notch.

A wildly over the top romp - mostly for the better, but not always

[I_Ailurophile · 7/10 · 19 April 2023]

One sees "crime film" or "crime thriller" and assumes a certain somber, authentic tone. Let's get this out of the way at the top: 'Dobermann' is effectively a comic book come to life. Everything about it is wildly exaggerated and over the top, not with a mind for comedy but simply pure outrageous bluster. This exists somewhere on a spectrum between "B-movie" and "cartoon," except realized with about as much seriousness as any such creation could be, not to mention major violence. In some of the stylization one is reminded of slick modern heist flicks or comparable action-crime titles, especially with cheeky editing. But even from the very first moments the film operates with an absurdly overcooked sense of color and flavor that would be beyond all reason if not for how carefully calculated it all is. I think it's safe to say one has to be on board with features of such a zestful nature in the first place to possibly enjoy this, and at some points it manages to be too over the top for its own good. Imperfect though it may be, however, much more than not it's pretty fun!

The story at large may carry some familiar strains, and either that narrative thrust or the humor that's peppered throughout is surely the least overdone aspect of the whole picture. Otherwise? Joël Houssin has penned scenes that are consistently cacophonous kaleidoscopes all on their own in building that story. The costume design, hair, and makeup are only slightly less flamboyant than 'Dick Tracy,' matching characterizations, dialogue, and acting that are only slightly less overblown than film adaptations of Frank Miller. Primarily, for all the great skill we know they possess, we've seen Vincent Cassel gleefully chew scenery before, but not like this; if Monica Bellucci has ever gone wholly overboard elsewhere the way she does as Nat, then that's definitely something I need to see. Stunts, effects, and all manner of violence are as immoderate as they could be (and nonetheless look great all around); the production design and art direction are marginally more conventional, but still wackily whimsical after a certain gnarly fashion. Michel Amathieu's cinematography is rich and vibrant in and of itself, yet also taken to significant extremes at points; Jan Kounen's direction swerves hard between smart and clever, and brazenly forthright. Even the music seems supercharged, though to be fair, maybe the effect is heightened on account of the imagery it accompanies. And none of this is sloppy or accidental; exorbitant though the presentation may be, make no mistake that 'Dobermann' is executed with deft capability.

It feels noteworthy and important to spotlight the nigh-total extravagance above all. Not just because of its prominence in the movie, but also for those ways in which it becomes altogether excessive at times, or takes precedence over other facets. Specifically, the embellishment pointedly washes over the narrative writing. For all the details that garnish the proceedings, all the same the plot is scarcely more then "there are career criminals, and some police are trying to bring them down"; as satisfying as the climax is, and its resolution, the ending is less so in its curtness. More persistently nagging are those inclusions that are so intemperate as to become self-indulgent. This includes and is not limited to how some characters are written (Manu, Mosquito) or portrayed (Romain Duris, Antoine Basler, Tchéky Karyo); some choices of direction or camerawork; and some of the attempted humor, including crass toilet jokes. Even the scene to greet us over the opening credits is a huge step too far, making a bad first impression before the film begins in earnest. A modicum of restraint, in only a few select instances, would have only benefited the title broadly without impacting the general tenor. To that point, content warnings are necessary for homophobia, transphobia, prejudice and discrimination against sex workers, police brutality, and more. Yes, these elements are part and parcel of the tale at hand, as Dobermann and his gang are brutal but the police are genuinely far more villainous, all too plainly mirroring real life. Be that as it may, the manner in which these traits are teased out in the storytelling is a tad wanton, to the point of sometimes being unwelcome rather than entertaining.

The worst instances of overload are unfortunate in how they serve to detract from the bombast, and one wishes that the writing were fleshed out with more complexity and detail. With minimal alteration, this could have been even more enjoyable than it already is. Still, even through the more questionable points this is a good time overall; that's all it was meant to be, and that's all it needs to be. It might even have a leg up on no few mega-millions Hollywood blockbusters that are overindulgent in their own ways, but that also forget to have fun along the way. No matter how you slice it I don't think this could ever be described as a must-see, unless perhaps one is a big fan of Cassel, Bellucci, or someone else involved. If you do happen to come across 'Dobermann,' however, there are far worse ways to spend one's time; be aware of what you're getting into, and those ways in its it particularly falters, but this is a ridiculous romp of French cinema that's worth checking out.

The most sick and disgusting movie ever seen

[flink · 1/10 · 10 October 1998]

This is a totally sick and disgusting display of extreme and pointless violence between psychopaths with and without police badges. The only mentally healthy person involved is a small baby being tortured by two policemen. I have seen a lot of weird movies, but this is the only one during which I have seriously considered leaving the cinema within the first 5 minutes.

stylish movie, for those who doesn't fear violence.

[cedric_glorieux · 9/10 · 9 August 2007]

I'v seen this movie in a Cinema. It's a visual Shock. Kounen break the usual limits of violence and the traditional good/evil opposition. Its allow to have a less foreseeable movie than Hollywood's ones with the big bad guy and the white knight who save save the princess in the end... The movie bring adrenaline and sensations, and that the objective. For information, Tcheky Karyo speak English not because "English is evil" but because it's a style in France to say some words in English. Like the inverse... And it's a stylish movie, for those who doesn't fear violence. A critic have to be objective and it's stupid to destroy a movie like this one when we hate the violent/action style... If you don't like classic music, don't rate Theophilius Amadeo Mozart.

Dobermann

[CinemaSerf · 6/10 · 24 November 2022]

Vincent Cassel is the eponymous bank robber who leads a gang of what can only be described as desperate and disparate eccentrics. Hot in pursuit are the police but they are having little effect until they decide to let the ruthless "Cristini" (Tchéky Karyo) take charge of the investigation. What now ensues is an increasingly bizarre and surreal heist caper that leaves virtually nothing out of bounds with loads of violence, dark comedy, transvestism and then, more violence. I rather liked the ending - it was not what I was expecting nor is it typical of the genre. The writing is pretty ropey though, and the lighting could have been doing with some extra wattage so we could actually see what was going on for more of the time. As a drama it offers us a quickly paced and mildly entertaining, if very unlikely, glimpse of a seedy and grim sub-culture and Cassel - though he doesn't really feature so often - seems to be in his element. It won't be for everyone, this - it is actually quite sordid, and the narrative parodies just about everything from "For A Few Dollars More" (1965) to the "French Connection" (1971) with a bit of soft porn chucked in too. It's not great, no, and I don't imagine I will ever watch to again but still, I didn't hate it..

An existential action film poorly done

[smccar77 · 5/10 · 15 February 2011]

"Dobermann" is a challenging film on several accounts. The film is a dark actioner that provides highly stylized violence being done by unlikable people in the context of a simple story. The challenge is not really in understanding the film; rather it is coming away from the film liking it. The reason this film causes some distaste is that lofty goals of portraying moral relativism are shoddily executed. The following will discuss some of the films underlying assumptions and both bad and good points.

There are two main assumptions that this film makes. First, there is some positive value to showing a slice of life in which near all characters are unlikable. From start to finish, the characters with the most screen time are unlikable at best and despicable at worst. In all fairness, this is somewhat of an accomplishment. To populate a film world with characters that alienate the majority of the audience does take planning and a certain finesse to render. It does, however, beg the question, "why do this?" The answer is two-fold. On one hand "Dobermann" is a film that is trying very hard to shine a light on the oft untouched realm of moral relativism. In some circles, the idea of absolute good and evil is specious at best. This film gives us an hour and a half of actions done by people who have very little in the way of a moral system. Attempting to analyze action with any moral framework is quickly frustrated. Rather characters seem to act based entirely on pragmatic and selfish reasoning that is grounded wholly in the moment. On the other hand, and the second assumption, grossly taboo behavior is intended to be entertaining or have some positive value. This is a difficult area to work with. Action films are violent almost by definition. That said, there is often some context that justifies the violence and killing. For example, Bruce Willis in "Die Hard" strikes most of us as a defender of the innocent and thus sanctioned to take life. In "Dobermann" I found myself hoping that everyone would die at just under the one hour mark. The film made every character so despicable that any pleasure that could have come from viewing broken taboos was directed more into hoping that anyone who had more than five lines was shot in the head.

That this film is shocking and upsetting is not the reason that it deserves a fairly harsh critique. One would hope that an audience is capable of admiring skill and quality storytelling even if the story itself is unliked. This film not only tells an unsettling tale, it does so rather poorly. The acting for the most part, and especially by the dobermann character, is hollow and outright obnoxious. These are stock bad guys doing clichéd things. In addition, the story is too simple to sustain a serious look at moral relativism. Basically, some crooks rob a bank and are hunted and then fight the police. That is the entirety of the story. A childishly simplistic story populated with vapid characters severely limits this films ability to explore any meaningful ideas or philosophical questions. The above mentioned limitation also has the possible effect of causing a terrible disconnect with the audience. Should one loose connection with the poorly thought out and muddled ideas at the core of this film, the experience as a whole becomes one of viewing stylized mediocrity.

It may seem that I have nothing good to say, but that is not the case. From a technical standpoint, this is a well done film. The score, cinematography, shot composition and editing are well done and professional. The extreme violence, while somewhat dated, is uniquely stylized and enjoyable to watch. The movie is also very humorous at times. The opening sequence is worth viewing for its humorous kitch value alone. The penultimate aspect of this film is the bad cop. If there is one truly redeeming character, it is the police officer Christini. He is far and away the most believably evil human being to have been portrayed in an action movie. While this film fails in a great many areas, the Christini character alone makes it almost worth watching.

On a personal note, I will only recommend this film to core action buff friends. It would probably be better received if seen in a group as opposed to alone. 5 stars.