Released in 2004, Carlos Sorin's gentle drama is set in Patagonia, where gas-station attendant Juan "Coco" Villegas (Juan Villegas) suddenly finds himself jobless. He ekes out a living, selling handmade knives. Then, having helped a stranded woman on a highway, he's given Bombón, a game dog of questionable beauty but certifiable breeding.
As man and mastiff hit the canine competition circuit, so Villegas, under the tutelage of his manager Walter Donado (Walter Donado), broadens his horizons in all directions.
Comparisons to Best in Show are not unfair, but this is very much a South American take on the theme with, of course, all plaudits going to the magnificent Bombón (Gregorio, pictured).
Did you know? Director Carlos Sorin adopted a neorealistic style for this movie, deliberately using non-professional actors.
(4 Star)
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