Bombon film review

certificate_15

BOMBÓN (EL PERRO)

A gently humorous film, Carlos Sorin's Bombon (El Perro), or Bombon the Dog, is a story of one man and his canine friend. Notable for its use of non-professional actors, the film delivers an inspirational message about life, and although it is a charming affair it is also a slight one.

Juan (Juan Villegas) is a middle-aged man at a loss. After being fired from his job of twenty years as a petrol attendant, he scratches a living in the vast plains of Patagonia trying to sell beautiful knives that he carves himself. Travelling around in his beaten-up jeep, he lives a desultory existence: without a wife (presumably deceased or departed) he is an annoyance to the daughter whose shack he shares with her young family.

A kind and benign man, Juan looks for any opportunity to make a quick peso and one day finds a stranded motorist on the side of the road. He offers to drive her the 150 kilometres to her home and when they arrive he is treated as the Good Samaritan. His reward, however, instead of the cash he desires, is a huge beast of a dog who goes by the name of Bombon.

Not quite knowing what to do with his new friend, Juan finds a dog trainer named Walter, himself larger than life and canine in his ways. Walter is thrilled at the sight of Bombon, as his breed (dogo) is highly prized by canine lovers all over the world. The three of them form a partnership, attempting to train the animal and to show it at dog competitions.

Sorin's work has an element of social realism to it, and indicates just how desperate life is in economically-blighted Argentina. Its dry humour makes it a comforting affair to watch, and the beautiful yet harsh countryside seems to make Juan's situation even more precarious. There certainly are some amusing moments, notably the duo's attempts to parade the dog in competition, which give the film a Patagonian Best in Show flavour.