The Wild Dogs (2002)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

Thom Fitzgerald

Writer:

Thom Fitzgerald (writer)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Set during the cull of the stray dogs in the city of Bucharest, The Wild Dogs weaves together a week...

Plot Keywords:

Stray Dog | Diplomat | Beggar | Deformity | Nude Model

Awards:

4 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Rachel Blanchard	...	Moll
Visinel Burcea	...	Sour Grapes
Mihai Calota	...	Bogdan
Geraint Wyn Davies	...	Colin
Nelu Dinu	...	Dorutu (as Dinu Viorel Nelu)
Thom Fitzgerald	...	Geordie
David Hayman	...	Victor
Simona Popescu	...	Varvara
Marcel Ungureanu	...	Radu
Alberta Watson	...	Natalie
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Anca-Ioana Androne	...	Elena
Coca Bloos	...	Nurse (as Cornelia Bloos)
Nicoleta Preda	...	Men's Club Girl #4
Nicoleta Radoi	...	Men's Club Girl #3
Heather Rankin	...	Flight Attendent
Julia Stanciu	...	Men's Club Girl #2
Sylvia Stanila	...	Men's Club Girl #1
Jackie Torrens	...	Brenda
Coca Zibilianu	...	Photo Model (as Florentina 'Coca' Zibilianu)

Runtime:

97 min (Toronto International Film Festival)

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Filming Locations:

Romania

Company:

Chum Television

Egotistic reactionary film-making

In making "The Wild Dogs", Thom Fitzgerald made no pretense in his sentiment towards a number of his associates. This is very evident in the portrayal of Victor (the diplomat) and Colin (Geordi's boss). As much as people would like to say or think otherwise, Fitzgerald's intentions of making "Dogs" were purely reactionary. He wanted the whole world (okay, the viewers) to see how frustrated he was, that people at the right places -- the Victors and Colins in real life -- weren't stroking his ego the right way. So, here is something a hair short of slander.

Fitzgerald wants to send a powerful message, but he confused power with shock. Shocking, this film is, but powerful it is not. He wants to show how we, the supposedly civilized people, behave no better than a pack of wild dogs. After he switched back and forth from people to dogs, I couldn't help myself but wonder, "Thommy boy, I get your point, but, you know, so what? Do you think you're going to make your point stronger by rubbing it into my face harder?"

Besides, on the parallel between the dogs and the humans is the weakest link of the whole film (hence the need to rub it in the audience even harder). It almost seemed that the subplot of Bogdan and the strait dogs was some kind of afterthought, hastily put together to make the film "feature length" (for one I am not convinced by Bogdan). Most of the characters are so one-dimensional, that they are better made out of cardboard.

The only redeeming factors are (1) the relationship between Brenda (Victor's wife) and Dorutu (the human torso), (2) Radu (the midget) -- man Radu rules, and (3) the final meeting between Victor and Geordi in an undisclosed location. If Geordi were truly a representation of the real Thom Fitzgerald, I somehow lost any sympathy towards him. "Dogs" was reduced to an excuse for Fitzgerald to vent his anger. Too bad, he didn't keep his ego on a short leash. We, the viewers, had to take his bite.