Missing ... is any real feeling of compassion towards these forlorn individuals, any sense of the humanity that lies beneath the grotesque façades.
Dog Days (2002)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:33
Fresh:16
Rotten:17
Average Rating:5.4/10
Consensus: A relentlessly disturbing, depressing work.
Theatrical Release:Aug 22, 2003 Limited
Synopsis: DOG DAYS is a scathing satire, exposing the ugly underbelly of contemporary suburban mores. It is the first dramatic feature of notorious documentarian Ulrich Seidl (ANIMAL LOVE). With a keen... DOG DAYS is a scathing satire, exposing the ugly underbelly of contemporary suburban mores. It is the first dramatic feature of notorious documentarian Ulrich Seidl (ANIMAL LOVE). With a keen visual sense and lacerating wit, Seidl weaves together the sordid tales of a large group of people in suburban Austria during a heat wave. There's the Greek divorced couple who continue to live together, miserable and haunted by the memory of their young daughter's death. There's the alarm system salesman who has to find a scapegoat when the cars in a housing complex that he has serviced are vandalized. There's the desperate older woman whose sadistic boyfriend brings a friend along to watch him humiliate her. There's the elderly control freak who weighs every item he's bought at the supermarket when he gets home. Tying them all together is Anna (Maria Hofstatter), who hitches rides to nowhere, verbally assaulting those who pick her up with a constant barrage of inane top ten lists, advertising jingles, and embarrassing personal questions. Seidl gets solid performances from his cast, many of whom are not professional actors. For those who can stomach it, he offers a compelling glimpse of hell on earth. This film was included in the 31st New Directors/New Films 2002 series presented by The Film Society of Lincoln Center and The Department of Film and Media of The Museum of Modern Art in New York City. [More]
Starring: Maria Hofstatter, Christine Jirku, Victor Henneman, Georg Friedrich
Starring: Maria Hofstatter, Christine Jirku, Victor Henneman, Georg Friedrich, Alfred Mrva, Erich Finsches, Gerti Lehner, Franziska Weiss, Rene Wanko, Claudia Martini, Victor Rathbone
Director: Ulrich Seidl
Director: Ulrich Seidl
Screenwriter: Ulrich Seidl, Veronika Franz
Producer: Helmut Grasser, Philippe Bober
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Reviews for Dog Days
'People can be so cruel,' one character says after finding a poisoned animal. Judging by Dog Days, so can movie directors.
Director Ulrich Seidl presents a mean spirited satire of Austrian suburbia in this ugly movie that is quite possibly the worst film (foreign or domestic) of 2003.
A loser in almost all respects, boasting a parade of nudity that you don't want to see, and over two hours of conversation yielding nothing of interest.
Dark, probing, and truly disturbing, Seidl's astonishing feature debut explores angst, anomie, and alientaion in Vienna's upscale suburbs in visually audacious mode that goes beyond Todd Solondz and Todd Haynes.
Mosaic filmmaking at its most irresolute... [its few affecting] moments are antiseptic, sealed off from any larger relatable context or emotional arc.
The film does generate a unique level of intensity, and even the most harrowing scenes contain grace and humour.
This is one of those productions that is easier to admire than it is to like.
Ultimately lacking depth or resonance, Dog Days is willfully provocative, much like a small child performing outrageous acts just to get some attention.
Oddly compelling, disturbing -- some might say disturbed -- look at suburban life, Austrian style.
What some detect as cruelty in Dog Days is in fact a bleak but deeply felt humanism -- a yearning that we might all learn to better love our neighbors and, perhaps more importantly, ourselves.
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 14% 14% | The Ugly Truth |
| 98% 98% | Up |
| 36% 36% | G.I. Joe: The Rise of … |
| 52% 52% | The Taking of Pelham 1… |
| 45% 45% | Ice Age: Dawn of the D… |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 32% 32% | Terminator Salvation |
| 44% 44% | Night at the Museum: B… |
| 86% 86% | A Christmas Tale |
| 60% 60% | Paper Heart |
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