'DogMan', Luc Besson's first film after four years of silence, is one of those films that polarizes viewers in fans and haters from the start, and not necessarily because of the film itself but also or especially because of the personality of its director. It is not easy for me either to completely ignore the circumstances unrelated to the film, especially since the strange and lonely hero, victim of a fanatical and violent society, borrows - perhaps - something from the feelings of the screenwriter and director in recent years. At the same time, I can't help but appreciate that 'DogMan' is an impressive and very well made film, one of the best if not the best that Luc Besson has made in the last two decades. Life was cruel to Douglas Munrow, the hero of the film. A victim of the cruelty of an abusive father, he is thrown into the doghouse as a child - literally. There he learns distrust of people and communication with the only true friends - dogs. The violence in the family leaves him disabled but gives him the opportunity to master the crowds of dogs around him, becoming their savior and protector. However, society does not offer many chances to a disabled man, the only human relationship he knows turns out to be an illusion, and confrontations with the law and those outside the law escalate. Even faith in God does not offer him a way of salvation. The narrative is composed of flash-backs that reconstruct - in the presence of the police psychologist - the profile of an alleged criminal and his past. The lead performer is Caleb Landry Jones and his extraordinary role reminded me of Joaquin Phoenix's Joker. The comparison holds at all levels. It would be an injustice, I think, for the actor to be bypassed by even a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor. The scenes where Jones is surrounded by dogs are sensitive and visually expressive. Don't expect everything to be realistic and credible, this is not a man-dog communication and training story, that's not the point. The relationship between the hero, dogs and the rest of the world is not realistic but symbolic. The story has pace and tension and is captivating. The ending will also be contested, and, as the entire film, it will have its supporters and its critics. It impressed me. I recommend watching 'DogMan', with the necessary caveats - not everyone will like it.

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