Dog Eat Dog - Movie Review

Rating: 3 out of 5

Yet another bonkers thriller starring Nicolas Cage, this trashy crime comedy comes from director Paul Schrader, who wrote classics like Taxi Driver before turning director with American Gigolo. This movie has a kitsch tone as it spirals through a violently absurd story with a bunch of idiots who shoot first and then realise they can't ask any questions now. There are some intriguing issues gurgling under the surface, although they're kind of swamped by the mayhem.

It's set in Cleveland, where Troy (Cage) has just been released from prison and rejoins his buddies Mad Dog and Diesel (Willem Dafoe and Christopher Matthew Cook). Unable to get real jobs because they're ex-cons, they have no choice but to turn back to crime to make a living. So they contact mob boss El Greco (Schrader himself) for some freelance work. Their first job is ruthlessly convincing a gangsta-rapper (Omar J. Dorsey) to give them his drugs and cash. And then they move on to an even bigger target, the Latino kingpin Chepe (Reynaldo Gallegos). To get to him, they decide to kidnap the infant child of Brennan (Louis Perez), who is heavily in Chepe's debt. The problem is that Troy, Mad Dog and Diesel have no clue what they're doing, so the plan spirals out of control immediately.

The film looks almost swampy with its deep shadows and lurid colours, complete with visual flourishes that include wacky visual effects and clips shot in murky black and white. In other words, it's all very cool and nasty, with violence that's both unexpected and very grisly. People die horribly in almost every scene, but this seems to be rather run-of-the-mill for both the cops and criminals in this strata of society. No one has even a hint of a moral compass here; their goal is just to grab whatever they can. Cage gives another of his enjoyably deranged performances as Troy, bouncing hilariously off of Dafoe and Cook's carelessly murderous goons.

Each of the characters is given a number of riotous details that makes his actions amusing, even though they're pretty annoying to be around for 93 minutes. And they're all so hapless that we can't help but hope that they survive the carnage against the odds. Schrader and writer Wilder fill every moment with attitude, which keeps the film entertaining as the plot spins insanely out of control. And if you can be bothered to look under the ridiculous surface, there are some serious comments about America's judicial system.

Facts and Figures

Year: 2016

Genre: Thriller

Run time: 106 mins

In Theaters: Friday 18th November 2016

Distributed by: IFC Films

Production compaines: Ingenious Media, Arclight Films, Pure Dopamine, shanghai gigantic pictures, adme, blue budgie filims

Reviews

Contactmusic.com: 3 / 5

Rotten Tomatoes: 20%
Fresh: 1 Rotten: 4

IMDB: 6.7 / 10

Cast & Crew

Director: Paul Schrader

Producer: Brian Beckmann, Mark Earl Burman, Gary Hamilton, David Hillary

Screenwriter: Matthew Wilder

Starring: Nicolas Cage as Troy, Willem Dafoe as Mad Dog, Christopher Matthew Cook as Diesel, Omar J. Dorsey as Moon Man, Louisa Krause as Zoe, Reynaldo Gallegos as Chepe, Kayla Perkins as Grecco The Greek, Paul Schrader as Nanny Carmen, Magi Avila as 50's Diner Waitress, Johanna McGinley as Lina, Melissa Bolona as Jack Cates, John Patrick Jordan as Madeleine, Chelsea Mee as Judge, Jessica Sonneborn as Ten Dollar Tipper, Logan Fry as Deputy Dawg, Richard Fike as White Power Inmate, Tevis R Marcum as Yolanda, Tora Kim as Officer Strunk, Lauren Ashley Berry as Melissa, Ali Wasdovich as Mike Brennan, Louis Perez as Prosecutor, Theresa Wylie as Sexy Girl, Susan Cashdollar as Sheila, Chelcie Melton as Deputy #2, Joe Gallipoli as Teen boy, Shawn Mattox as Jimmy The Face, Robert Maples as 300 lbs, Steve Mayberry as Duece Man, Ali Amin Carter as Prison Skin Head, Todd Emmett as Pomaded Skinny Jean Guy, De'Andre Bush as Manager, Jonathan Gaietto as Maurie, Bruce Reizen as Officer Reggie, Phillip Shaun DeVone as Bar Patron (uncredited), Rex Alba as Supermarket Customer (uncredited), Melissa Rae Bender as Customer #1 (uncredited), Jay J. Bidwell as Waitress (uncredited), Megan Brautigam as Cop #1 (uncredited), Christopher Butler as Club Patron (uncredited), Peter Chiamardas as Bouncer (uncredited), Lou Consolo as Woman in Neighborhood (uncredited), Jessica Daley as Cop #2 (uncredited), Donavan Darius as Bar Patron (uncredited), Benjamin Donlow as Prison Guard (uncredited), David Downie as Bar Patron (uncredited), Kim Evans as Supermarket Customer (uncredited), Rod Fielder as Bailiff (uncredited), Rick Fike Jr. as Club Patron (uncredited), Joe Fishel as Casino Patron 1 (uncredited), Eric Frank as Club Patron (uncredited), David Gragg as Gun Enthusiast (uncredited), Jeff Hilliard as Apple Grocer Shopper (uncredited), John W. Iwanonkiw as Bar Patron (uncredited), Gary Jones as White power inmate (uncredited), Jack Norman as Apple grocery store shopper (uncredited), Edward Pfeifer as Upscale Restaurant Patron (uncredited), Whitney Romito-Mason as Pakistani Chap (uncredited), Allen Roth as Public Defender Lawyer (uncredited), Mark Salas as Supermarket Customer (uncredited), Debbie Scaletta as Prison Guard (uncredited), David Spencer as Prison Skin Head (uncredited)

Also starring: David Hillary, Matthew Wilder