The main criticism that could be leveled at the film ‘Dog 51‘ (‘Chien 51‘ in the original, like the title of the novel by Laurent Gaudé that it is adapting) is that we, as viewers, have a permanent feeling of déjà-vu. We have already seen enough dystopias about segregated and over-surveilled societies, and even the Paris of the future was the location where some of them took place. In addition, director Cédric Jimenez chose to give the film and the characters a visual aspect that is reminiscent of some of the best productions of the genre. Knowing his previous films, I think it is more a matter of an homage paid through imitation or citation to its illustrious predecessors and not a lack of imagination. ‘Dog 51‘ has many other cinematic qualities and a human quality that make it different even in the company of memorable successes that have already entered the reference libraries of filmmakers.
The Paris of 2045 is divided into three zones: Zone 1 – that of the oligarchs, Zone 2 – that of the people of the system who serve the first and Zone 3 of the common people, a huge ‘banlieu’ haunted by poverty and crime. The zones are separated by electric fences and gates guarded by soldiers and drones guided by Artificial Intelligence. Biometric identification locates any citizen, at any time, where they are. AI also advises the police who investigate crimes, such as the one in which the head of the concern that had developed the permanent surveillance programs of the population is assassinated. The investigation is led by veteran police officer Zem Brecht from Zone 3 and the younger detective Salia Malberg from Zone 2. The difference in social class makes Salia the boss and Zem her ‘dog’ companion in the dangerous territory of Zone 3. In reality, the two will discover that they share hidden details of their biographies, and the investigation will lead them to revelations that put them in conflict with the bosses of the AI-dominated social order.
I liked the way the story develops and is paced. Cédric Jimenez is one of the directors who knows how to adapt the American action movie genre to the European atmosphere and locations, and he does it with taste and talent. Gilles Lellouche and Adèle Exarchopoulos are both excellent in the roles of the detective pair and the audience will quickly become attached to them and get involved in the adventures in the dangerous world they live in. The rest of the roles are more schematic, but it’s always a joy to see actors like Louis Garrel, Romain Duris or Valeria Bruni Tedeschi again. It’s rare for me to wish a film had been longer, but this is one of those cases. An extra 10-15 minutes wouldn’t have hurt in my opinion, if it had added some complexity to the story and to some of the secondary characters. I would also add that – unlike many other film scripts – here the sci-fi pretext related to AI holds water and resonates with one of the contemporary anxieties related to these technologies. ‘Dog 51‘ is an anticipation and action thriller that I think neither genre enthusiasts nor those who appreciate quality cinematography will regret watching.