Plot: A crook known as Dobermann (Vincent Cassel) has a soft spot for guns, and he loves using them — especially to rob banks. Flanked by his deaf but equally violent lover Nat the Gipsy (Monica Bellucci), plus a brutal and bizarre pack of fellow thieves, Dobermann pulls off a tricky job that results in the death of police officers. After the heist, the group is pursued by the rogue cop Cristini (Tcheky Karyo), who spits bile and will stop at nothing to take down the gang.
After the passing of Tcheky Karyo recently I wanted to go and watch one of his most seminal roles in the 1997 French actioner, Dobermann.
This feels very much a product of the time and has dated somewhat but is enjoyable for those who like utterly insane action pictures. There is an energy to Dobermann which is almost exhausting after a while but it’s still slick with Vincent Cassel and Tcheky Karyo at their best.
Despite Cassel playing a bank robber he still genuinely cares about his crew and the real villain is Cristini (Karyo) who will stop at nothing to take down Dobermann. The supporting cast are mostly annoying and it was hard to root for any particular character as no one was especially sympathetic and it’s all morally ambiguous.
Where this movie shines is the gonzo action scenes, especially the finale in the nightclub which is complete chaos with an epic shoot-out and plenty of explosions. Some of the music is still cool and works well for the insanity on screen.
I literally haven’t watched this since the 90’s and I think people watching it now will definitely find it an acquired taste as it’s very sleazy stuff.
Overall, Dobermann is very much a product of its time and has dated a little, but there are still some entertaining action scenes and the finale at the club is crazy.