Sunday 27 February 2011

Dog (2001) - Andrea Arnold



Thematically linked in a few ways to Arnold's later Fish Tank, this short is her finding her artistic feet and paving the way for what would become her Oscar winning short Wasp. Leah is a council estate teen, her mum screams abuse at her when she leaves the flat instead of waving tutty bye. You've all seen Ken Loach and Mike Leigh films even if you haven't ventured into the wilds of East London, so you know the type of people I mean. She meets up with her boyfriend John, and they go and buy some gear. Romance not being dead he leads her off onto some waste ground and starts to get frisky. A stray dog eats his dope, so John kicks the dog to death. Leah sees him for the idiot he is and goes home to a receive a beating from her mum. Who is the dog of the title? Well it's not as subtle as one would hope, but when Leah starts barking at her mum, all becomes obvious. There are far worse ways to spend nine minutes of your life than watching this. It looks lovely and is stylistically obviously Arnold, Joanne Hill is great as Leah, shame she hasn't been in anything since.

6 comments:

OMFGITSROHIT said...

Where can I find Milk and Dog by Andrea Arnold?

Lawrence said...

You can find it on the Criterion DVD of Fish Tank. Well worth buying.

Glynnder said...

Any idea for Brits..? Can't really afford to import a criterion DVD just for 'Dog'.

Lawrence said...

There's another great short on there too though called Wasp. I'd splash out for the DVD if I was you. I don't think it's available anywhere else.

Glynnder said...

I have Wasp on my Artificial Eye copy of Fish Tank! It's literally just 'Dog' I'm looking for. Can't pay that much for one 10 minute short. Thanks though

Lawrence said...

Yeah I ended up giving away my Artificial Eye copy and buying the Criterion.

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