Dobermann (1997)

Dobermann is the world's most ruthless bank robber and with his gang rob bank after bank, now in Paris. What can the police do but to let the mad, morally bankrupt police commissioner loose on him?

Director:

Jan Kounen

Writer:

Joël Houssin

Stars:

Vincent Cassel, Tchéky Karyo, Monica Bellucci

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Vincent Cassel	...	Yann Lepentrec dit Le Dob
Tchéky Karyo	...	Commissaire Sauveur Cristini
Monica Bellucci	...	Nathalie dit Nat la Gitane
Antoine Basler	...	Jean-Claude Ayache dit Moustique
Dominique Bettenfeld	...	Elie Frossard dit l'Abbé
Pascal Demolon	...	Inspecteur Lefèvre
Marc Duret	...	Inspecteur Baumann
Romain Duris	...	Manu
François Levantal	...	Léo
Ivan Merat-Barboff	...	Inspecteur David Silverberg
Stéphane Metzger	...	Olivier Brachet dit Sonia
Chick Ortega	...	Jacky Sueur dit Pitbull
Patrick Rocca	...	Commissaire Clodarec
Florence Thomassin	...	Florence
Roland Amstutz	...	Oncle Joe, vieux

Storyline

The charismatic criminal Dobermann, who got his first gun when he was christened, leads a gang of brutal robbers. After a complex and brutal bank robbery, they are being hunted by the Paris police. The hunt is led by the sadistic cop Christini, who only has one goal: to catch Dobermann at any cost.

---

Plot Keywords:

male frontal nudity | male rear nudity | paris france | shootout | nightclub | 

---

Genres:

Action | Crime | Thriller

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for pervasive strong violence and language, and for drug use and sexuality

Details

Country:

France

Language:

French English Spanish

Release Date:

18 June 1997 (France)

Also Known As:

Доберман

Filming Locations:

Canal de l'Ourcq, Paris 19, Paris, France

Box Office

Budget:

FRF33,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Canal+, France 3 Cinéma, La Chauve Souris

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

One of Jan Kounen's short films Gisèle Kérozène (1990) can be seen on the television during the villa scenes.

---

Goofs

Inspector Christini says his colleagues wouldn't find Mesrine in a noodle pack. He pronounces "Mesrine" with the "s" but this name is pronounced "Merine"

---

Quotes

Jacky Sueur dit Pitbull: [after he buries his dog] Then i'll bone a cop

---

Alternate Versions

Norwegian version is uncut but some cinemas refused to screen the movie because of the violence.

---

Connections

References Point Break (1991)

---

Soundtracks

Voices of Lust
Written by Schyzomaniac
Performed by Brune

User Reviews

Best 'live action comic book' ever made

Dobermann is one of the best 'live action comic books' ever made, IMO. The characters, the cinematography, the dialogue and the violence all have the comic book 'feel' - ultra-stylised and larger than life, and full of very black humour.

The movie is basically a heist movie, with Dobermann himself (Vince Cassell) and his band of unlikely partners plotting a robbery, and pulling it off... but getting bad-ass cop Cristini (Tcheky Karyo) on their tale for their troubles.

The movie is exceptionally well done - clearly a lot of love went into it from director Jan Kounen and from the cast. Some of the camera work is utterly unique and stunning, and the performances all round are excellent. Tcheky Karyo is particularly memorable - his role in KISS OF THE DRAGON was basically his DOBERMANN character watered down to about 1%. Dobermann himself is perhaps the least well developed character, remaining pretty detached and enigmatic throughout.

There's lots of sharp dialogue and bits of absurdity that will obviously draw comparisons to Tarantino. This all leads to some action setpieces that are very very nicely done, including a stunning and extended climax.

This is the 3rd time I've watched the movie, and I enjoy it more each time. Watched it at work last night with a pretty large group, and couldn't help wondering if it was a movie that showed cultural differences between the US and Europe. The Europeans & even a Canadian in the room were sat grinning from ear to ear from start to finish, all loving it... but the Americans in the room just didn't seem to 'get it' at all. They all seemed to be taking it much too seriously, and struggling terribly with the idea of an "anti-hero". The fact that Dobermann has killed an innocent man before he speaks his first line of dialogue seemed to give them trouble. Perhaps this is a European thing, along with the black humour. The difference in response between the Americans and the rest really was noticable.

But, perhaps it's just a coincidence - and some people from any country are always going to miss the point on these things. If you like your heroes dirty, your characters about 3 times larger than life, your camera restless, your dialogue cynical and vicious and your violence explosive... then Dobermann is a wonderful movie you should definitely track down.