Man Bites Dog Reviews

Don't watch it!

Being open minded for different genres I added this movie into my list. I saw lots of controversial movies (Henry, portrait of a serial killer, Irreversible...) However, this movie I would even rate with 0.1 stars, only to pull down the rating level. This movie is morally not correct visualized, if you know what having a moral is...

It shows a killing of an innocent child, it shows a rape scene where also the camera crew is involved in (the most disgusting scene I have ever seen in a movie). It shows stupid killing without any sence of humour or entertainment (saying so because some people find it funny and entertaining).

I don't understand how you can 'rate' raping a woman and killing a child with 5*. I don't understand the message of the directors. If you do, you got a serious problem!

Unique - thankfully!

This film is neither funny nor shocking. It is however outstanding in one respect - it is one of the most boring and pointless films with any pretentions to serious content that I have ever seen. Walk the dog or clear out the garage instead - you'll find it infinitely more satisfying.

Give this a whirl...

Although possibly a touchy subject when read about and abhorent to most people, the film is incredibly dark but very funny.

The main character hypnotizes the viewer to a degree where I found myself constantly smirking even when he was doing his dastardly deeds!

The only scene that was a bit 'overdone' was the rape scene, which was much too gratuitous to say the least - but I found the rest of the film disturbingly amusing and well watchable.

It may be good but unfortunately the subtitles are written in white and superimposed on top of the black and white picture. This makes the movie unintelligible for long periods (unless you speak french); and it's especially frustrating as there is plenty of room for subtitles below the picture when watching itin letter-box format. I would recommend Battle Royale or Series 7 the contenders if you want a watchable movie of the same genre.

Are you one of the gang?

Meet Benoit, the ultimate anti hero. A deranged psychopath with an incalculable body count to his name. All we know for sure is Benoit kills and then kills some more. But this guy has more than one string to his bow, we get to know his musical tastes, his passion for better urban development and learn along the way why its best not to kill the middle classes.

He truly is a psychopath for all seasons. As we admire his lust for life, paradoxically at its most heightened when he’s ending the lives of others, we become numb to killing just as Benoit is. You’ll be enjoying the movie at the end, you’ll be one of the gang. But are you happy about that?

[Highly rated reviewer]

Nonsense,

Rubbish.

There will be people, a lot I'm sure, who will consider this to be intellectually stimuating and well worth a watch.

Well they're entitled to their view, as am I.... this is is pretentious garbage

Possibly, the best movie ever made

Strange, quirky, provocative.....convincingly ,blatantly and casually brutal, gruesome and disturbing (with images you have never seen before), and dripping comedic irony and juxtapositions, this movie is meant to shock, tickle and entertain. It succeeds on all levels. Rather than give up the plot, let me just recommend the movie for the daring.

One of Poelvoorde's greatest movie

This is the best dark humour movie ever made. I would recommend you to learn french just to understand the movie to its full extend.

Beware if you don't speak french. The subtitles are really hard to read. White on white for most of the movie. It's a shame but as I already said, If you understand french, you should see it.

Small explanations that may help the maybe's

This film is dark, meandering along with a serial killer. It makes no justification as to his goals, but instead demonstrates his dedication to his cause, when he looks at his watch claiming he is late for work.

From the beginning a wry smile courses across your lips that do amass to a chuckle throughout the film. There is some interesting killing - especially the way someone dispatches his mother! But for me, the story wanders around the edges of the serial killers life, not challenging or attempting to fathom the meanings. A small theme with their soundman made me laugh. Then story then takes a sudden turn, crashing the humour with the rape scene, which embarrassed me for laughing, bringing me back into killing is bad. I think some of the reviews treat this film unfairly - It’s a three star for me, good fun to watch - but would not make it to cinema.

Given that we all pay as we go along, and effectively get some movies for very little, it’s worth a sitting.

Customer Review

While one can intellectualise and justify the presentation of gratuitous and extremes of violence in the name of art you should tread carefully before watching this film if you think you are going to be treated to some thought provoking 'black comedy' that will make you look at life in a subtly different way.

I thought twice about writing a review as I turned this film off about 20 minutes in, believing I had no right to write about something I had not watched in its entirety, and there in lies my point.

If you want to spend your time watching a film of cold calculated disturbing violence I suggest you get out more.