Bombon el Perro/Bombon the dog 2004
This is an Argentinian film about a mechanic (Juan Villegas) who loses his job as a mechanic and drifts round Patagonia to find a new one.
In the course of various short term jobs he accepts a large white guard dog who turns out to be pure bred. An accountant in a bank he is visiting to cash a cheque notices this and recommends an associate who exhibits dogs at shows.
Juan goes along to such a show with the guy and Bombon wins third place. There is look of real pride in Juan as through the the dog has has rediscovered his self esteem.
He travels through Patagonia meeting various shyster breeders who want Bombon to reproduce. He turns out to be a reluctant lover. It’s a warm, touching film with a low budget and a non professional cast. (The director met Juan Villegas as for 5 years he parked his car).
It’s refreshing break from “Me too” and Hollywood franchises. I enjoyed it immensely. Although some of the characters are seedy there is a warmth and goodnaturedness about the film.
When Juan is down after yet another rejection, the petrol attendant tells him he has won a competition with a scratch card with a prize of “men in black” sunglasses which Juan wears with much pride.
There is one obvious problem in an animal film – the animal itself. I suspect that the past coercement was used in a way that would now appal most viewers.
Yet animals were a feature of films and even now L’Artiste’s enjoyment owes much to the dog itself. Breakfast at Tiffany has the touching scene at the end when Holly Golightly (Audrey Hepburn) is reunited with her cat which she had discarded.
Bombon does not have to do much acting apart from sitting in the car and refusing to copulate. By contrast Juan Villegas proves himself a very good actor and the other characters in the movie too.
Villegas is particularly adept in letting his facial expression tell the story.
It’s a good length film (93 minutes) and well directed by Carlos Sorin. The Oscar winning The Secrets of their Eyes put Argentinian films on the map but some fine films like this already were made. Curiously two of them contain dog in the title, Amores Peres and this one.
