Venice 2024: Egyptian Doggie Film ‘In search of Haven for Mr. Rambo’
by Alex Billington
September 7, 2024
Mr. Rambo deserves our all of the treats and all of our love! It is a notably spectacular 12 months for canine films – and right here is one other one which goes proper on the checklist of canine films that deserve our admiration in 2024. Apart from the Hollywood choices like Arthur the Canine and Canine Gone, there’s a rising collection of indies which might be successful over canine lovers worldwide. Black Canine (my evaluate) from China and Canine on Trial (my evaluate) from Switzerland each premiered on the 2024 Cannes Movie Pageant earlier this 12 months. The Pal with an enormous nice dane in it simply premiered on the 2024 Telluride Movie Pageant. And this one from Egypt titled In search of Haven for Mr. Rambo simply premiered on the 2024 Venice Movie Pageant this fall. It is an lovable, heartfelt story of a person who goes off on an journey to discover a secure perpetually house for his canine after he will get right into a combat together with his neighbor. The plot is simplistic and simple, however it’s nonetheless an awesome canine film. Now I am unable to cease enthusiastic about Rambo – he is such a cutie, so expressive and charming. One other champion doggo in a film.
In search of Haven for Mr. Rambo is co-written by Khaled Mansour and Mohamed El-Hosseiny, and is directed by Egyptian filmmaker Khaled Mansour – making his characteristic directorial debut following a number of different quick movies. The movie stars Essam Omar as Hassan, a poor younger man residing in a working-class neighborhood of Cairo. His grumpy, acidic, asshole neighbor needs to tear down the house he shares together with his mom in order that he can broaden his storage and mechanic enterprise into the house. Hassan and his mom refuse, however he retains getting extra aggressive. In the future his pretty, white fur doggo named Rambo bites the neighbor in what is a reasonably justified response when he will get right into a combat with Hassan. Alas, this units him on a warpath to eliminate the canine, so Hassan and Rambo go on the run round Cairo. Fortunately Rambo already has his personal tremendous cute helmet that he wears when he rides within the sidecar connected to Hassan’s motorcyle. Off they go looking for a secure place that Rambo can stay in order that Hassan can take care of this man, whereas additionally hoping this man does not discover them. Rambo, who’s performed by two canines listed because the “Rambo Brothers” within the credit, is a generic avenue canine from Egypt, and he is superb. Their efficiency as Rambo is the correct quantity of reasonable & lovable.
Mansour’s In search of Haven for Mr. Rambo has a number of flaws which might be often current in debut characteristic movies, however they are not that problematic and do not actually get in the way in which of the emotional core of the narrative. I fell in love with Rambo and that is all that basically issues for me. It is not a very authentic or bold story, following Hassan as encounters the standard cliche collection of annoying suitors and offended folks alongside the way in which. And when he will get all the way in which out to a canine shelter, which appears to be one of many solely locations left regardless of many of the canines being locked up in cages, after all issues do not work on the market for different causes. There’s a number of artistic decisions with the filmmaking, however Mansour shouldn’t be making an attempt to make it too inventive or experimental. Mr. Rambo is a fascinating movie as a result of it’s easy and acquainted, as a result of it simply one other heartwarming story a few canine lover who will not let anybody hurt his canine. For anybody nervously curious, the canine does get into hurt’s manner a number of occasions, however fortunately he’s not killed (this canine does not die). Most canine films today are variety sufficient to not do that anymore, lest it would not be a doggo film (it would be a drama with a canine in it).
Together with Black Canine and Canine on Trial, In search of Haven for Mr. Rambo is now the third nice canine movie from movie festivals in 2024 that I will be mentioning for the remainder of the 12 months and recommending to different canine lovers. The cinematography is superb, and the story is partaking sufficient, however most of all of the doggo Rambo is one you may always remember after watching him on display for 102 minutes. Extra good-hearted tales like this, please.
Alex’s Venice 2024 Score: 7 out of 10
Comply with Alex on Twitter – @firstshowing / Or Letterboxd – @firstshowing
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