El perro
Encyclopedia
El perro (2004
) is an Argentine
and Spanish
, drama film
, directed by Carlos Sorín
, and written by Sorín, Santiago Calori, and Salvador Roselli. The picture features Juan Villegas
and Walter Donado, among others.
The film was partly funded by INCAA
.
El perro is a neo-realist
fable about a man and a dog. Set in Patagonia
, an unemployed man has his luck change after being given a Dogo Argentino dog for helping a stranded woman on the highway.
), the main character, is first seen trying to sell knives to a group of oil workers. He is a skilled craftsman, but the knives are too expensive for them. In fact, throughout the entire film, he never manages to sell a single knife, but he ends up giving two away: one to a security guard as a bribe, and one to a cabaret singer he meets on his journey.
It is apparent that Coco is down on his luck. He lives in a cramped apartment with his daughter and her children. As he is 52 years old, it looks increasingly unlikely that he will get another job. What he really wants is to work in a gas station, and during the first part of the film he is seen inquiring after such jobs.
Coco is a good natured man, despite his ill luck, and he's seen helping a woman on the road whose car has broken down. This good deed leads to him being given an Argentine Dogo as a gift. The dog is a pedigree and the woman supplies him with all the documents. Coco is totally bemused, but keeps the dog.
When he goes home, his daughter asks him to choose—her or the dog. He chooses to keep the dog. The film now becomes a road movie
. Coco calls the dog "Lechien" mistakenly believing that this is his name, in fact it simply means "the dog" in French and was written on his kennel. Eventually Coco realizes the dog is called "Bombón."
From the moment he takes the dog, Coco's luck begins to change. People ask him to guard buildings with the dog; a chance meeting with the bank manager leads him to Walter, a trainer. Walter assures him that the dog is pure gold. After the dog wins third prize at a dog show an eager Walter begins to make arrangements to have him put out to stud, this promises to be lucrative for them both, but the unfortunate dog is unable to perform.
Disillusioned, Walter takes the dog back to his ranch
, and advises Coco to get settled somewhere and return for the dog later on.
But Coco feels lost without the dog, and returns to Walter's only to find the dog has escaped. Upon finding the dog again, coupling with a stray female mutt
, Coco sets off into a hopeful future with two young hitchhikers in tow.
Carlos Sorín, in neo-realist
fashion, used non-professional actors when he shot the film.
Filming locations
The picture was filmed in: Gaiman, Chubut
; Patagonia
; Río Gallegos, Santa Cruz
; Trelew
, Chubut Province
; Tres Cerros, Patagonia; all in Argentina
.
Distribution
The film was first presented at the Donostia-San Sebastián International Film Festival in September 2004. The same month the film made its North American debut at the Toronto Film Festival on September 14, 2004.
In Argentina the film opened wide on September 23, 2004.
The picture was screened at various film festivals, including: the Nantes Festival of 3 Continents, France
; the Cinémas d'Amérique Latine de Toulouse, France; the Hong Kong International Film Festival
, China
; the Muestra Internacional de Cine, Mexico
; the Seattle International Film Festival
, USA; and others.
liked the film and wrote, "[the film was] flawlessly directed by Carlos Sorin...[Jose] is half-seduced by dreams of glory, but the film's real concern is dignity. Juan (Juan Villegas
), is as modest a hero as you are likely to encounter on a movie screen, and neither he nor Mr. Sorin — or, for that matter, Lechien — have especially grandiose aspirations. That El perro is so unassuming is part of what makes its humane, sympathetic story so satisfying."
Ed Gonzalez thought highly of the film, and wrote, "The jewel in the crown of The Film Society of Lincoln Center's Latin Beat program last year was Carlos Sorín's El perro, which grabs the warm humanist baton from the director's Minimal Stories and heads straight for an existential finish line. With tender understatement, Sorín catalogs the depressing embarrassments an unemployed mechanic (Juan Villegas
) is subjected to when he's unable to secure work or earn money for his homemade knives."
The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes
reported that 83% of critics gave the film a positive review, based on twelve reviews.
2004 in film
The year 2004 in film involved some significant events. Major releases of sequels took place. It included blockbuster films like Shrek 2, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The Passion of the Christ, Meet the Fockers, Blade: Trinity, Spider-Man 2, Alien vs. Predator, Kill Bill Vol...
) is an Argentine
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
and Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, drama film
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
, directed by Carlos Sorín
Carlos Sorín
Carlos Sorín is a film director, screenplay writer, cinematographer, and film producer. He works mainly in the cinema of Argentina....
, and written by Sorín, Santiago Calori, and Salvador Roselli. The picture features Juan Villegas
Juan Villegas
Juan Villegas is an Argentine film actor.He won praise for his acting performance in the film El Perro , and was nominated for an Argentine Film Critics Association Awards in 2004.Villegas works in the cinema of Argentina.-Filmography:...
and Walter Donado, among others.
The film was partly funded by INCAA
INCAA
The National Institute of Cinema and Audiovisual Arts is an Argentine government film production company in Buenos Aires. It promotes the Argentine film industry by funding qualified Argentine film production companies.-Ratings:...
.
El perro is a neo-realist
Neorealism (art)
In art, neorealism was established by the ex-Camden Town Group painters Charles Ginner and Harold Gilman at the beginning of World War I. They set out to explore the spirit of their age through the shapes and colours of daily life...
fable about a man and a dog. Set in Patagonia
Patagonia
Patagonia is a region located in Argentina and Chile, integrating the southernmost section of the Andes mountains to the southwest towards the Pacific ocean and from the east of the cordillera to the valleys it follows south through Colorado River towards Carmen de Patagones in the Atlantic Ocean...
, an unemployed man has his luck change after being given a Dogo Argentino dog for helping a stranded woman on the highway.
Plot
Coco (Juan VillegasJuan Villegas
Juan Villegas is an Argentine film actor.He won praise for his acting performance in the film El Perro , and was nominated for an Argentine Film Critics Association Awards in 2004.Villegas works in the cinema of Argentina.-Filmography:...
), the main character, is first seen trying to sell knives to a group of oil workers. He is a skilled craftsman, but the knives are too expensive for them. In fact, throughout the entire film, he never manages to sell a single knife, but he ends up giving two away: one to a security guard as a bribe, and one to a cabaret singer he meets on his journey.
It is apparent that Coco is down on his luck. He lives in a cramped apartment with his daughter and her children. As he is 52 years old, it looks increasingly unlikely that he will get another job. What he really wants is to work in a gas station, and during the first part of the film he is seen inquiring after such jobs.
Coco is a good natured man, despite his ill luck, and he's seen helping a woman on the road whose car has broken down. This good deed leads to him being given an Argentine Dogo as a gift. The dog is a pedigree and the woman supplies him with all the documents. Coco is totally bemused, but keeps the dog.
When he goes home, his daughter asks him to choose—her or the dog. He chooses to keep the dog. The film now becomes a road movie
Road movie
A road movie is a film genre in which the main character or characters leave home to travel from place to place. They usually leave home to escape their current lives.-History:...
. Coco calls the dog "Lechien" mistakenly believing that this is his name, in fact it simply means "the dog" in French and was written on his kennel. Eventually Coco realizes the dog is called "Bombón."
From the moment he takes the dog, Coco's luck begins to change. People ask him to guard buildings with the dog; a chance meeting with the bank manager leads him to Walter, a trainer. Walter assures him that the dog is pure gold. After the dog wins third prize at a dog show an eager Walter begins to make arrangements to have him put out to stud, this promises to be lucrative for them both, but the unfortunate dog is unable to perform.
Disillusioned, Walter takes the dog back to his ranch
Ranch
A ranch is an area of landscape, including various structures, given primarily to the practice of ranching, the practice of raising grazing livestock such as cattle or sheep for meat or wool. The word most often applies to livestock-raising operations in the western United States and Canada, though...
, and advises Coco to get settled somewhere and return for the dog later on.
But Coco feels lost without the dog, and returns to Walter's only to find the dog has escaped. Upon finding the dog again, coupling with a stray female mutt
Mutt
A mutt is a mixed-breed dog.Mutt may also refer to: -Nickname or codename:* Mutt Carey , New Orleans jazz trumpeter...
, Coco sets off into a hopeful future with two young hitchhikers in tow.
Cast
- Juan VillegasJuan VillegasJuan Villegas is an Argentine film actor.He won praise for his acting performance in the film El Perro , and was nominated for an Argentine Film Critics Association Awards in 2004.Villegas works in the cinema of Argentina.-Filmography:...
as Juan "Coco" Villegas - Walter Donado as Walter Donado
- Gregorio as Le Chien aka Bombón
- Rosa Valsecchi as Susana
- Mariela Díaz as Coco's daughter
- Sabino Morales as Sabino, Coco's friend
- Claudina Fazzini as Claudina
- Kita Ca as Claudina's mother
- Carlos Rossi as Bank Manager
- Leda Cacho as Walter's wife
- Micol Estévez as Walter's daughter
- Diego Rozas Denis as Gelsi, Walter's friend
- Andrea Suárez as Hitchhiker
- Adrián Giampani as Galván
- Carlos Aguirre as Galván's boss
Production
CastingCarlos Sorín, in neo-realist
Neorealism (art)
In art, neorealism was established by the ex-Camden Town Group painters Charles Ginner and Harold Gilman at the beginning of World War I. They set out to explore the spirit of their age through the shapes and colours of daily life...
fashion, used non-professional actors when he shot the film.
Filming locations
The picture was filmed in: Gaiman, Chubut
Gaiman, Chubut
Gaiman is a town in the Chubut Province of Patagonia in Argentina. It has a population of about 6,000 as per the . It is located close to the River Chubut, about 15 km west of Trelew....
; Patagonia
Patagonia
Patagonia is a region located in Argentina and Chile, integrating the southernmost section of the Andes mountains to the southwest towards the Pacific ocean and from the east of the cordillera to the valleys it follows south through Colorado River towards Carmen de Patagones in the Atlantic Ocean...
; Río Gallegos, Santa Cruz
Río Gallegos, Santa Cruz
Río Gallegos is the capital of the Patagonia province of Santa Cruz, Argentina. It has a population of about 79,000 as per the , while at 2009, the estimated population may be well over 100,000...
; Trelew
Trelew
-References:La Pasión según Trelew, Espejo de la Argentina, 1997, Editorial Planeta Argentina S.A.I.C.; Third Edition: April 2000, Buenos Aires, ISBN 950-742-859-3-External links:* * * *...
, Chubut Province
Chubut Province
Chubut a province in the southern part of Argentina situated between the 42nd parallel south and the 46th parallel south , the Andes range separating Argentina from Chile, and the Atlantic ocean...
; Tres Cerros, Patagonia; all in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
.
Distribution
The film was first presented at the Donostia-San Sebastián International Film Festival in September 2004. The same month the film made its North American debut at the Toronto Film Festival on September 14, 2004.
In Argentina the film opened wide on September 23, 2004.
The picture was screened at various film festivals, including: the Nantes Festival of 3 Continents, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
; the Cinémas d'Amérique Latine de Toulouse, France; the Hong Kong International Film Festival
Hong Kong International Film Festival
The Hong Kong International Film Festival is a platform for filmmakers, film professionals and filmgoers from all over the world to launch and experience new film work. There are seminars, conferences, exhibitions, and parties celebrating the festival community...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
; the Muestra Internacional de Cine, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
; the Seattle International Film Festival
Seattle International Film Festival
The Seattle International Film Festival , held annually in Seattle, Washington since 1976, is among the top film festivals in North America. Audiences have grown steadily; the 2006 festival had 160,000 attendees...
, USA; and others.
Critical response
Critic A.O. Scott, film critic for The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
liked the film and wrote, "[the film was] flawlessly directed by Carlos Sorin...[Jose] is half-seduced by dreams of glory, but the film's real concern is dignity. Juan (Juan Villegas
Juan Villegas
Juan Villegas is an Argentine film actor.He won praise for his acting performance in the film El Perro , and was nominated for an Argentine Film Critics Association Awards in 2004.Villegas works in the cinema of Argentina.-Filmography:...
), is as modest a hero as you are likely to encounter on a movie screen, and neither he nor Mr. Sorin — or, for that matter, Lechien — have especially grandiose aspirations. That El perro is so unassuming is part of what makes its humane, sympathetic story so satisfying."
Ed Gonzalez thought highly of the film, and wrote, "The jewel in the crown of The Film Society of Lincoln Center's Latin Beat program last year was Carlos Sorín's El perro, which grabs the warm humanist baton from the director's Minimal Stories and heads straight for an existential finish line. With tender understatement, Sorín catalogs the depressing embarrassments an unemployed mechanic (Juan Villegas
Juan Villegas
Juan Villegas is an Argentine film actor.He won praise for his acting performance in the film El Perro , and was nominated for an Argentine Film Critics Association Awards in 2004.Villegas works in the cinema of Argentina.-Filmography:...
) is subjected to when he's unable to secure work or earn money for his homemade knives."
The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
reported that 83% of critics gave the film a positive review, based on twelve reviews.
Awards
Wins- Donostia-San Sebastián International Film Festival: FIPRESCIFIPRESCIThe International Federation of Film Critics is an association of national organizations of professional film critics and film journalists from around the world for "the promotion and development of film culture and for the safeguarding of professional interests." It was founded in June 1930 in...
Prize, Carlos Sorín; 2004.
External links
- El perro at the cinenacional.comCinenacional.comCinenacional.com is a web portal and web-based database about Argentine cinema.The site provides a vast array of information, including: films, television programs, directors, actors, cinematographers, film editors, production designers, and other production professions in Argentina...
- El perro trailer at YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....