directed by:
Pauric Brennan written by: Mark Hampton genre: Crime |
If you're wondering about the title of this particular film, it's actually slang - and if you don't know but want to know, you'll simply have to watch to find out. As for the film itself? I'd be lying if I told you I came into this flick expecting a whole lot. But with a title like this? Again, I just had to find out, and honestly, reader, I'm glad I had the opportunity. "Don't Sell Me a Dog" is a gritty, down-to-earth crime drama of sorts with heart and bite in near-perfect proportions.
Written by Mark Hampton, this film begins with a lonesome man being hijacked by a duo of drug addicts after a robbery. The acquired stash in question is meant to be enough to start a new life, but it quickly becomes apparent that money alone will simply not be enough. As Joe, the hijacked man, says in the film, sometimes the money makes things worse. But a new life is assuming they make it out of their old one because the local crime boss knows who robbed him and is on an intercept course. As Joe and the girl, Adele, begin to bond during their forced road trip - the piper slowly closes in, looking to not only get paid but get revenge as well. The short and sweet of this review? This is a low-budget independent film done right. Trust me, time well spent. The visual style of this flick felt right on the money - minimal and to the point, which suited the story perfectly. Pauric Brennan manages to direct in a way that makes "Don't Sell Me a Dog" feel like it could be reality television - but be warned, reader, this is a very dialog-heavy movie. But that fact is not a bad thing because frankly? The troupe of actors involved in this film is immensely talented. You'll have no problem falling into this film until the credits roll. Also worth noting is that the character-driven drama is so good at times you won't even realize that there's not a lot of background scoring helping the narrative along. To achieve this level of immersion without relying on music says volumes about the cast and crew involved. Well done.
I started this write-up by stating I was pleasantly surprised with this movie and stand by that statement one hundred percent. I'm not writing that everything was perfect or that "Don't Sell Me a Dog" will fool you into thinking it's a multimillion-dollar film - only that I immensely enjoyed it. This one hit all the right bells and, for that, four stars. Coincidentally? I absolutely loved the big reveal at the end. |
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