Even with direction from Paul Schrader (First Reformed) and solid performances from the leads, Dog Eat Dog just doesn’t hit with the impact you’d expect.
Dog Eat Dog, based on a novel by Edward Bunker, tells a pulpy story about three ex-cons: Diesel (Christopher Matthew Cook,) a burly but intelligent enforcer type; Troy (Nicolas Cage,) a brainy, Humphrey Bogart wannabe; and Mad Dog (Willem Dafoe,) a loose cannon with little emotional control and a drug habit. The trio is finding that adjusting to life after prison is difficult after you become accustomed to the easy riches of crime.
Deciding that the straight jobs available to ex-cons aren’t for them, they start doing jobs for The Greek (Paul Schrader, who also directed,) a Cleveland mobster. After a few nickel and dime gigs, they get a chance to score some serious money in a baby-napping scheme. If successful, the three men could receive $250,000 each. Setting aside the ethical ramifications of kidnapping a baby, this job could allow them to start their own businesses and go legit. Or, it could get them back in the slammer. Of course, it wouldn’t be much of a movie if they play it safe.
Relative unknown Christopher Matthew Cook holds his own with Cage and Dafoe. Each plays a dark and quirky (and in Dafoe’s case, murderous) character. The script provides them all with opportunities to highlight their individually twisted ways of adjusting to life outside of prison. While Cage receives top billing, Dafoe’s the one to watch. The needy, unpredictable Mad Dog is a showcase for Dafoe’s talent for playing uniquely unhinged characters. An early scene where a negotiation with his girlfriend goes horribly wrong will probably be burned into my psyche for a long time.
Even with direction from Schrader (First Reformed) and solid performances from the leads, Dog Eat Dog just doesn’t hit with the impact you’d expect. After a slow start, a promising second act had me hopeful for a satisfying conclusion. But the whole thing trips over its shoelaces as it approaches the finish line. The final scene can only be described as a real head-scratcher.
While I can’t wholeheartedly recommend Dog Eat Dog, I can’t say I’m sorry I watched it. It’s a violent, trippy, muddled mess but it’s never boring.
2.5 out of 5.0 stars
