January 9, 2006
Want to see a film about one man, a dog and the countryside of Patagonia? No? Then you’ll miss out on this Argentinian curiosity by writer-director Carlos Sorin. For this is a light-touch, funny and moving piece. And if there’s a prize for the most expressive eyes on show, then actor Juan Villegas actually pips Gregorio the dog to the title. For while Bombon, the titular hound-dog, has a great physical presence, the performance that really makes this film such a delight is that of Villegas.
Coco (Villegas), an ageing, redundant mechanic tries to make ends meet selling home-made knives while living with his trailer-park daughter who’d clearly rather he wasn’t there. Aching for the loss of his job, and marked by his wife’s rejection of him, Coco has a quiet dignity and kindliness toward others that is both sad and winsome. When he comes into ownership of the similarly rejected Bombon, a huge purebred dog, he suddenly finds himself with both a companion and an entrée into a prize-winning world. And with it comes the possibility of a fresh start and new relationships.
Villegas lights up the screen, beautifully expressing the quiet tragedies and optimism of a simple man. Coco and Bombon are alike – both have a nobility in spite of their experiences – and their road-movie journey to that realization is at the core of this enjoyable film. Remarkably quiet, it has a luminosity beyond the sum of its parts. Nuances, landscapes, looks and smiles add up to a surprisingly affecting movie. It’s also funny with an affirmatory tone that stays the right side of sweet. As unassuming as Coco himself, Bombon El Perro doesn’t outstay its welcome – in fact the ending is a bit too abrupt. Time well spent though.
Coco (Villegas), an ageing, redundant mechanic tries to make ends meet selling home-made knives while living with his trailer-park daughter who’d clearly rather he wasn’t there. Aching for the loss of his job, and marked by his wife’s rejection of him, Coco has a quiet dignity and kindliness toward others that is both sad and winsome. When he comes into ownership of the similarly rejected Bombon, a huge purebred dog, he suddenly finds himself with both a companion and an entrée into a prize-winning world. And with it comes the possibility of a fresh start and new relationships.
Villegas lights up the screen, beautifully expressing the quiet tragedies and optimism of a simple man. Coco and Bombon are alike – both have a nobility in spite of their experiences – and their road-movie journey to that realization is at the core of this enjoyable film. Remarkably quiet, it has a luminosity beyond the sum of its parts. Nuances, landscapes, looks and smiles add up to a surprisingly affecting movie. It’s also funny with an affirmatory tone that stays the right side of sweet. As unassuming as Coco himself, Bombon El Perro doesn’t outstay its welcome – in fact the ending is a bit too abrupt. Time well spent though.