dogs for cinephiles

Umberto D. (1952) dir. Vittorio De Sica

Dog: uncredited (multiple actors)

There are some performances that stick with you long after you’ve finished the film that contained them. Flike in De Sica’s neorealist drama Umberto D. is one of those performances.

As the companion of the titular pensioner, Flike helps Umberto navigate the difficulties of living in post-war Italy. Flike’s tiny terrier face communicates the gamut of emotions: love, heartbreak, desperation, innocence, anger, etc. And no matter what, the audience is right there with him.

While Flike was likely played by a number of pups (given the variations in appearance), they seemed to have worked very hard together to form a cohesive character (à la Briony in Atonement). 

Flike is the gold standard for dogs in cinema. The ultimate good boy.

Dogtooth (2009) dir. Yorgos Lanthimos

Dog: uncredited

The sad truth is that the film’s title--Dogtooth or Κυνόδοντας--is remarkably misleading. The dysfunctional family at the center of Lanthimos’s surreal narrative does have a pet dog, but he only makes a cameo appearance in the middle of the film. 

Moreover, we are told that this pup resists being trained and refuses to acknowledge the authority of the Father. This is a fascinating development, given the film’s exploration of parental control and its limits; sadly, it is never explored and the questions raised by the dog’s storyline are transferred to the human Older Sister.

Amores Perros (2000) dir. Alejandro González Iñárritu

Dogs - Cofi, Richie, and more

Iñarritu’s first feature contains the triptych structure of many subsequent works of his, interweaving three separate stories featuring dogs from all different social strata in Mexico City. True to its title, Amores Perros delivers with a stellar cast of canines. 

Cofi, the rottweiler of the first narrative, is the breakout performance (a distinction often granted to his scene partner, Gael García Bernal). He plays the part of a dog unaware of his own destructive power with a stunning mix of ethos and pathos. Richie, a higher class dog featured in the second storyline, struggles to match that energy.

Finally, the third story includes a wonderful ensemble of pups, whose postition on the margins of society is only made more tragic by their fateful encounters with Cofi.

John Wick (2014) dir. Chad Stahelski

Daisy - Andy

When will filmmakers stop using the death of a pup as a catalyst for a human’s character development? 

Andy is a good boy and a good actor who deserves better.

Stalker (1979) dir. Andrei Tarkovsky

Dog: uncredited

This black shepherd is a wonderful symbol for the supernatural power of the mysterious Zone (Зона). However, one is left wondering if there is much substance to the pup’s performance besides just being a pretty face and a good boy. The fact that his performance is in Russian does not help.

Beginners (2010) dir. Mike Mills

Arthur - Cosmo

Despite his cynical persona, Arthur’s grief at his recent loss oozes underneath each insistent bark and thousand-mile stare. Cosmo (previously seen in 2009′s Hotel for Dogs) does an incredible job translating the character on to the screen from Mike Mills’ script. His performance remains a high-watermark for canine acting, especially for the competitive field of Jack Russel Terriers.

Lady Vengeance (2005) dir. Park Chan-wook

Dog: uncredited

In a film that straddle the line between exploitation and art cinema, this pup’s brief cameo ends tragically. Its arc only serves to exemplify how Geum-Ja harms those she brings into her orbit. One moment, it’s finding its furever home, the next it’s leaping carelessly through the snow, then the next it’s target practice.

also what type of dog is it that asking for a friend

The Third Man (1949) dir. Carol Reed

Dog - uncredited

While it is never appropriate to comment on an actor’s appearance or weight, this dog is tiny and off-putting, much like his contemporary Peter Lorre.

Later out-acted by a cat.