Dogman

Dogman is a 2018 Italian crime drama film inspired by real events involving Er Canaro, and directed by Matteo Garrone. It was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival. At Cannes, Marcello Fonte won the award for Best Actor. Although selected as the Italian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 91st Academy Awards, it was not nominated. Plot Marcello is a small, mild man, living in a dilapidated Rome suburb; he owns a dog grooming shop, and divides his days between his work, his daughter, Alida - who lives with her mother, from whom he is separated - and socialising with other locals. He supplements his meager income by selling cocaine to acquaintances. One is Simone, a huge and thuggish former boxer who terrorises the neighborhood. The extent of this abusive friendship is demonstrated when one night, Simone forces Marcello to take part a burglary, since he has a van and can act as the driver. The job runs smoothly, but Marcello hears his accomplice describe how he put a Chicuahua in the freezer to make it stop barking. After receiving his token share of the loot, Marcello returns to the scene, retrieves the dog, and revives it. Simone continues to cause havoc, punching a restaurateur and breaking his nose. Some locals discuss what can be done about him, but no decision is made. Marcello is silent throughout. Later that night, Simone forces Marcello to get cocaine for him from his supplier without paying for it. Accompanying him, Simone is turned down due to his debts. The thug responds by brutally beating the dealer and one of his henchmen, leaving with a haul of coke that he and Marcello consume in a strip club. On leaving, Simone is shot by a man on a motorbike. After refusing to go to hospital, Marcello takes Simone to Simone's mother's house to tend to him. Here, Simone and his mother have a brief argument over the cocaine; his mother is upset by his addiction. One day, Simone discovers that Marcello's shop shares a hollow wall with a cash-for-gold shop, and decides to rob it. Marcello tries to dissuade him, as the owner is his friend, but Simone bullies Marcello into giving him the key to his own shop. Next morning, Marcello discovers that Simone carried out the robbery, leaving a gaping hole in the wall, incriminating him. Marcello is arrested.